Sanderson

Up until OG implemented a new computer system I had no problems at all and actually went as far as to recommending them. Since July they have consistently paid me an incorrect amount each month. They are almost impossible to get hold of with the call being cut after 10-15 mins of waiting. If you do manage to speak to someone they are unable to offer any answer and claim they need to refer it internally. I have currently been waiting 2 weeks on their accounts team checking what has been received from my agency. I am getting closer by the day to passing it over to a solicitor and trying to reclaim my money through the courts. I would implore anyone looking for an umbrella company to avoid at all costs.

Blanket ban and it’s costing them good contractors .

CEST assessment by email and appeals rejected on non-CEST basis

Nothing more or less than I expected having read the other comments on here. Two months out from renewal I was sent my Status Determination Statement (CEST), by the agency Sanderson, which classified me as Inside and at the same time offering a renewal at the same rate. No advice whatsoever received from Sanderson other than to confirm I could dispute the determination. My main beef was over control and specifically the following: • Does your client have the right to move you from the task you originally agreed to do? • Does your client have the right to decide how the work is done? According to the response to my formal dispute, the answer to both was yes and as a result was still considered Inside. Thankfully, by the time this had played out the market had picked up and I have now got a new role elsewhere starting in two weeks time. Note: Kingfisher do not have a “blanket” approach, as every contractor received an SDS, it is just a consistently blinkered one.

Ridiculous approach, can confirm that a blanket approach has been taken, Worse, the new IR35 contract lacks clarity as the email with the contract has one rate whilst the contract has another, Kingfisher have however accepted the use of my PSC. Shameful how the only communication is via email with so far no calls or discussions on an individual basis.

With a year to put things right...not a thing has changed. A blanket decision to put everyone 'in scope'. The appeal process is a sham with no one successfully being able to appeal despite the CEST determining roles 'outside'. Horrible atmosphere for contractors. I will be walking.

As others have noted, Sanderson did use the CEST tool for an individual assessment but didn't engage in conversation with me (or any other contractors). They did this last year when they initially threatened IR35 but pulled out at the last minute. And as others have pointed out, some questions were answered YES which contradicted what my original contract stated. I had my original PSC-based contract checked for being outside IR35 and it was validated as such by QDOS so they're clearly taking the safe and secure route at the expense of their contractors. They've not even offered an uplift to our daily rate to cover the pension contributions/holidays/apprenticeship levy which is ironic and pretty unethical i.e. "we now deem you as an extended/disguised employee but we won't pay you for any of the benefits of employment, oh and we still reserve the right to drop you at short term notice too". The people here are decent but given this kind of shafting by Sanderson/Kingfisher HR I doubt I'll be here for the long haul.

Experience was bizarre from beginning to end. I was told prior to contract start that there would be individual assessments. However, with a month of starting there was a blanket assessment to inside IR35 despite contract having very clear clauses to the contrary. Informed that I had 4 days to appeal but no information provided. Terrible communication from Kingfisher and Sanderson. Decided to terminate contract 4 months early and find work with an organisation that valued its contractors and staff.

Kingfisher did used the CEST tool for an individual assessment but did not engage in a discussion with me as the contractor. Some questions were answered YES which contradicted what the contract stated. The final approach seems to be umbrella or nothing.

Initially blank assessment - now everyone has to go through umbrella and there will be no IR35 determination. Not great atmosphere following on from notice period being halved, followed by 10% across the board contractor pay cuts. People will be leaving as soon as they can secure new roles.

Letter for CIO stating need to be in the office, although a distinct lack of management personnel available. Canteen remain open mask. alcohol get plentiful

Blanket assessment made with flawed CEST tool. No rate change to cover losses. Simply take it or leave it approach

ASI confirmed this morning that the previous falsified determinations will still apply, so ignoring the delay to the reforms. Only exceptions are those deemed critical and moving to use the newly created Managed Service/Consultancy created specially to allow outside contracts. Note this was based on what they were working on, not the contract or working practices. Most of these individuals are long term perm-tractors who should be inside, but are a key man dependency. The head of change has admitted that 'we can't have too many outside as HMRC will investigate us, so you have to move inside'. Blatant admission the determinations are a blanket, but pretending like not.

Official confirmation from Standard Life (both the business and their HR area) that their position is unchanged from Jan, and they will only accept contractors on a PAYE (inside IR35) basis. Assessments were never based on real data - no data gathering took place.

Contractors can no longer operate through their limited company, complete ban on them. Can work through umbrella company only. They do not have the talent to get their projects completed. It will be an utter shambles when the skilled contractors leave in a couple of weeks. Never been treated so bad by a client

Despite the original blanket Inside IR35 assessment that no contractor had any input into and did not consider working practice and used HMRC CEST tool, comms issued on 20/03 stating that Aviva will maintain their current approach albeit with delayed implementation until April 2021. Same comms state that any SDS generates will only become valid in April 2021 and if you’re not engaged at Aviva at that time, it will become null and void. Too little too late for the many contractors who left but looks like and contractor who originally elected to be engaged via an umbrella can now revert back to their limited company if they do wish. Any contractor who has taken a perm role can it revert back to being freelance.

Desperate comms issued today suggesting that now miraculously you can be ‘outside’ even though they did absolutely everything to undermine agreements and get all ‘inside’ - happy to ignore it now they’re off the hook. Suggest all continue on the course they've plotted over the past few weeks or be absolutely certain contracts and working practices are completely overhauled and agreed to by Aviva AND Sanderson to support and defiantly get it all expertly assessed.

Aviva have confirmed that they expect to maintain their current blanket approach, albeit delaying implementation to April 2021 but any SDS issued only becomes valid once the new rules take effect. If you are not providing services to Aviva as end client from that date then the then the SDS will be void.

No change back to PSC, it's umbrella or nothing. Will be staying for the time being but looking to get out ASAP.

No change after the IR35 delay in March 2020. Moved to umbrella still mandatory (or FTC/perm where offered).

Enforcing umbrella companies despite delayed IR35. Agent communication poor and not representing contractor interests. Feel let down

Confirmed projects are still going off-shore. No assessment tool. No feelings , will find new clients.

Completely reliant on CEST with manufactured answers directed by legal teams. Contractors not consulted properly. Poor knowledge on the topic. Some projects are about to stop because key contractors leaving

validated my view: sds received: Capgemini UK plc, in capacity of the End User of your services has assessed the above engagement and have concluded that IR35 does not apply to this engagement. view is that the nature of our engagement with you is one which falls outside IR35. This position has been validated by the use of HMRC’S Check Employment Status for Tax (CEST) tool.

RED not AMBER. Blanket by stealth. They are ‘individually’ punching answers into CEST and refusing to stand by any sub’ clause claiming it’s just easier for them to deal with an individual and they don’t care what the contract to agency says. Standing by hours being control when the contract has had this completely removed (they tell their staff 8pd; 40pw) and not adhered to in practice anyway. Seem to think the fact a contract exists is MOO as it’s there for a defined period / piece of work (with clear coverage of no expectation of offer of more services / provision of more services being extended). Control over the ‘how’ agreed in contract and practice to be driven by me - they refuse to acknowledge. Assessments seem to only involve Aviva & Sanderson [who funnily enough have an outsourcing/consulting division]) They think expert freelancers are just temps (to be fair perhaps not those at the coal-face) and also believe any contract supplier loss will easily be filled (obviously by all those wanting to work INside and no ability to cover expenses). Entirely business and freelance unfriendly.

Capgemini put forward a framework for project-based work in line with HMRC requirements. The customer is apparently open to it but it will take weeks/months to assess the business case. Meanwhile, I will be given a SDS using CEST and declared inside IR35 for risk purposes. My business practise is outside IR35, Qdos contract assessment declares I'm outside IR35. I will be leaving end of March to seek outside IR35 work as opposed to becoming a zero rights employee and a target for HMRC investigation by staying.

Sent out an SDS email with no detail, Gave me two options, accept or appeal. I replied and they ignored every word of what I said, and gave me a generic template email. I can't communicate with an anonymous faceless email auto-reply so I've just not responded. Very poor behaviour from a client, I won't take business from them again.

Asked about challenging SDS which is In Scope IR35. Told by two different people that the decision will not change. Aviva are assessing by generic role + other information - reasonable care?! Blanket decisions?! Completed CEST myself and was out of scope. As per most contractors perceptions / cynical views the disgreement process conducted by Hirers is flawed and weighted in favour of the Hirer. Its all going to end in tears. Treated as an underclass of employee / supplier - Hirer and IR35 can't make up their minds what I am. Sanderson's just looking after profit margin and see me as a cash cow. I've heard of more contractors leaving than contractors accepting inside IR35 roles.

Lip service only. Aviva has an exclusive supplier relationship with Sandersons who are just using the HMRC CEST tool. This is totally based on their view of the contract that they are insisting is signed for engagement to carry on. The contract I had with Sandersons included explicit statements stating that this was not intended to be a contract of employment, but Sandersons are insisting that a new contract is signed without this. The contract I was on included the right to substitute with Aviva only needing to confirm they had the relevant experience - not in the new contract, I received an email stating that the role I was carrying out was Inside IR35 including the SDS from CEST with answers that did not reflect my working environment - I checked with all my stakeholders and none had been contacted. I have left now with no other work rather than continue under the new contract through an Umbrella. There are a lot of other people likely to leave in the next few months. This was already starting to have an impact on projects when I left and it will get worse..

On the face of it looks like fair assessments with input from hiring managers (albeit using the HMRC CEST Tool). In reality it’s a total sham! Outcome of assessments by hiring managers is overturned if the result doesn’t give an inside IR35 determination and appeal process is slow and closed shop i.e. via a joint Aviva & Sanderson committee. There is no opportunity for individual contractors impacted to have direct input into the appeals review meetings held. Have yet to see any roles deemed outside of IR35 and yet Aviva & Sanderson standby the mantra that each contractor has had an individual assessment and have not been part of a blanket assessment. Lots of contractor terminating contracts early. Projects impacted resulting in increased costs and extended timelines and struggling to backfill with either permanent resource or external. Contractors being offered conversion to permanent or fixed term contracts in an attempt to retain the crucial SME skills. No one wants this, not one benefits - it's a risk based approach.

Same experience as other respondents. Factually incorrect responses being entered into CEST to guarantee inside IR35 determination. Sanderson / Aviva not prepared to use correct responses, but using the 'hypothetical contract' position when it suits them, and ignoring it when it doesn't. Definitely lip-service only. Will probably lose contractors, with corresponding impact on projects.

Blanketing of contractors; Limited information on rules of Employer NIC only found out from Umbrella Company. AUK stating no position to negotiate. A lot of contractors leaving;retiring.Most are angry. Sanderson wiping there hands of it all.

Informed prior to contract start that there would be individual assessments but instead there has blanket assessment to inside IR35 despite contract and working practices indicating otherwise. Informed that I had 4 days to appeal but no information provided for what was entered into the CEST tool. Company already struggles to get resource in the Yeovil office and this will just exacerbate this as few people will be willing to fund the significant expenses to get/stay here out of their own pocket

What more can be said over what others are saying. Blanket assessment to all contractors using the same wording. Not one individual I’m aware of is being deemed outside.

Promised individual assessments. Sent out identical SDS to everyone determining everyone inside the regulations. SDS referred to "working practices" that didn't reflect reality and contradicted contracts - e.g. they would refuse substitutes, they line manage contractors, can allocate contractors to any project they wish. Used CEST to assess, but based on made up working practice. When contractors appealed with evidence to the contrary (i.e. that the stated working practices didn't reflect reality), evidence was ignored, decisions stood, and these false working practices were reiterated. A completely sham individual process which was clearly a blanket decision. PSC allowed as an option inside IR35, but there is a huge pressure for everyone to go umbrella (e.g. they won't share a sample contract for Inside via PSC). Still no clear picture on who is leaving or staying, but it will certainly impact some projects. I feel very disappointed on being treated unfairly, when I had thought I was a valued partner. Morale is low, and there is a complete lack of trust between the contractors and management. Many will stay due to a lack of other options, but few will be wanting to stay on longer term, and will be looking for other companies to work with.

Assessing contractors by role and contradicting written contracts. Contracts are not worth the paper they are written on in that case. No help from Sanderson (who are entitled to appeal too as fee payer). No rate uplift. Some contractors are leaving to work with competitors giving rate uplifts. Atmosphere is resentment of client.

No obvious tool or mechanism used for assessment - it was just a 3 bullet point list the same as everyone else's I've seen on direction and control, MOO and substitution. Obviously a blanket assessment and all 3 points go directly against the worded contract in place.

Finally received form letter stating 'in-scope'. No basis for decision communicated, no appeal process details communicated. I will be giving notice to stop at the end of March which will put the project (already behind) into the red. Project Management believe the contract to be outside IR35 but are being ignored. An utter shambles by Sanderson who also sent out emails that breached data protection!

No assessment tool used. Just a blanket ban.

SDS provided on request. Some answers to CEST contradict contract terms. Contractors already leaving projects.

Blanket email to all contractors and no individual CEST assessments. Very poor. They will lose people.

After an email in November suggesting a fair appraisal on a case by case basis with regular contact. A blanket email arrived on January 30 with the a list of umbrella companies to use on January 31, with a deadline for a decision to be made by each contractor on February 10. CEST assessments made by the client were available on request and indicated that there was no case by case consideration. Despite a positive spin by Sanderson, a high proportion of contractors have indicated they will not be accepting the assessment and will be leaving the company. Projects will be impacted. Having been given a false promise of a fair case by case assessment, I will be glad to leave.

Chaotic confused and incorrect information leadership lacking competency and unable to manage even a nominal level of communication. Complete mess.

Quite simply an utter farce, lip-service to assessing but done by Sanderson & a group of ‘experts’ who don’t have a clue about either the contracted agreements or actual working practices punching what they want the answers to be into CEST. So easy to get right - yet bad advice is being followed & little understanding is evident. Poor show, very poor show. Projects will needlessly be grinding to a halt In the next few weeks, achieving nothing but damage to / suffocation of the business. All suppliers are angry frustrated. Some managers at the coal face get it but they aren’t being listened to as the appetite from above is to force all inside. Bravo.

Received SDS. Individual assessment using CEST. Responses typical of someone who thinks they have hired a permanent member of staff. Not clear if PSC can be used or just Umbrella Aviva - as your deemed employee I just wanted you to know, your supplier Sandersons critical timeline needs revising. In the current climate of working through IR35 people are feeling uncertain, even vulnerable (big life changing decisions to make) and therefore time should be taken to work through the personal impacts, legal aspects as well as the impact on the contract rate: Sandersons are expecting deemed employees to instruct an Umbrella company before an off payroll contract has been issued i.e blindly signing a legal contract. That doesn't allow your deemed employee to make informed decisions to continue or not, before signing up to an Umbrella company which I'm assuming I will be required to sign a contract with them. Do your "proper" employees sign an employment contract with you without seeing all the details first? Disappointed in you Aviva as your agency approach doesn't fit with the values you state. Sandersons (Agency) are compounding the uncertainty with the poor thought through communications, that is late in the day and in one instance they had to reveal a Data Privacy Incident because they cc'd everyone into an email instead of BCC! No confidence in Sandersons who are handling this to suit their processes.

Assessed based on role without any consideration given to genuine working practices, only those that client deems to exist. False answered to drive an out of IR35 determination. Expect some key resources will leave with corresponding key programme impacts.

Blanket PSC ban, umbrella's only.

Blanket decision made using cest tool. Threatened by the agent that a second choice candidate was waiting in the wings if I wanted to dispute the client decision.

a blanket SDS uniform assessment has been provided to all PSCs regardless of role / working practice, The SDS is a sham, The position is a PSC ban by any other name. The atmosphere is a mix of angry vs resigned. A significant proportion of contractors (the ones with most transferable skills) will leave

All inside IR35. The assessments are done for the sake only not in spirit.

A thinly veiled attempt at individual assessments with SDS issued, completed by assignment managers with no discussion using only CEST, everyone so far is inside. I’ve given notice.

Blanket impersonal email indicating after a review and use of CEST tool I have been found inside but not until April 6th. So does that mean I’m inside n now when an independent review of the contract states outside? Decision needed of what to do by 10th February, but still no sight of an SDS even after requesting one. It seems I’m now inviting HMRC to investigate me!

No PSCs from Feb. Poor communication. No uplift in rates. Blanket ban, no individual assessment.

Just decided to blanket all contractors and state they’re inside IR35

Terminated today 16:55. Notice served Nice people

No chance of a rate rise

Blanket approach with a limited number of preferred umbrella companies being put forward.

Using QDos to make individual assessments. Some adjustments made to arrangements to make it clear that off payroll workers will not have access to any benefits (car parking, lunches etc)

Blanket coverage even though they made the paper defense before Christmas of Assessing everyone individually.

Blanket “in scope” communication sent to all contractors based on existing contract opening all up to investigation by HMRC due to potential fraudulent behaviour.

All inside from April it seems.

Email confirmation yesterday that PSC's are banned. All existing contracts will end on 27th March and new contracts will be issued to align to umbrella model.

Myself and so many contractors I talk to are leaving NWBS on 20 March. Their current and future projects will go to ratchet and will fail. They just think they will struggle for a few months while they replace us all but they seriously have their heads in the sand if they think they can just go out to market and re recruit all the expertise they will lose.

PAYE/Umbrella/no PSCs Doomed

Individual assessments done

Pretending to conduct individual assessments.

All Contractors are inside IR35. The line managers who filled the HMRC cest tool have not filled info consistent with the contracts issued.

They are using CEST and I was asked just a few questions via an email, then assessment completed by complete stranger. Everyone is being assessed as inside IR35. All contractors in my business area leaving on 20 March 2020

Most contractors are given inside IR35 assessment. Working practice questions are not filled correctly. I have not seen any exception where any contractor is outside of IR35.

Requested a statement from IBM but nothing forthcoming

Total blanket ban - no illustration or contract available. Stay on PAYE or leave

Contractors to be replaced by InfoSys workers on visas

Firstly, Sandersons approach at any time to independant contractors feels simply as one of contempt. This is then compounded on several fronts: Aegon are in some cases offering perm positions but, their rate of pay is laughable; between Sanderson and Aegon contractors are being forced into an umbrella should one wish to continue; there is little to absolutely no solid discussion on rate increases if in umbrella; moral throughout the area is below rock bottom due to complete mismanagement

This week Sanderson reconfirmed Aegons blanket ban on PSC's.

They are still working out the exact route, but have said that they will be blanket inside IR35

St Valentines Day massacre! All out on 14th Feb.

Still waiting to find out what decision will be made, nothing as yet confirmed or even suggested.

Saying a blanket ban isn’t being enforced where in reality there is no outside work.

NBS have done individual assessments using CEST2. PCS's are NOT banned as incorrectly stated. Complete fake news. PCS's can be used but if the role is deemed 'inside' deductions are taken at source.

No announcement. An informal discussion with management resulted in them stating that they had not heard of the impending off payroll reforms !

No PSCs from end of Feb. No uplift to rates. Employer NI will be deducted from day rate by the umbrellas.

Been approached for new contract (10/1/2020). Been advised fair assessment and working through PSC ok

Handled very poorly with little thought out. also very rushed and late decision

Frustrating, as not all contracts are equal. A blanket approach feels lazy and misses the point in many cases. They're also refusing to increase day rates for anyone who is pushed towards a move to an Umbrella arrangement.

Appears to be fair process but no real details. Lot contractors released in Dec 2019. Sandersons have issued a list of umbrella companies on preferred supplier list. This worries me.

initially all inside determination given but since appealing they are now reconsidering

All limited company PSCs are out by end February 2020

Contractors no longer required.