Telecom People

Outside IR35 contractor on a an outside contract for two years. Day before I was due to leave telent they said I could not work at Telent without working through a company called telecom people. They kept going on about me being part of their company and how great they were. I'd never heard of them. Attended an interview with them. They dismissed a lot of my comments and disregarded my concerns. They changed my payment schedule from weekly to monthly. They wanted me to sign an associate agreement and a retainer letter. I asked them repeatedly for the SOW and when they sent it there was hardly anything in it. I raised my concerns but didn't have time to respond properly as my contract was finished. So I sent my equipment back and assumed my contract at telent was finished.

I received an individual assessment using the CEST tool to assess IR35 status during a meeting with HR and I was proven to be outside IR35. telent have now consulted their company tax advisor who has decided I am inside IR35 due to them not understanding their own contract and choosing to interpret the contract in a way that the contract does not support so that I am forced to go and work inside IR35 through Telecom People. I'm due to finish my contract at the end of the month. I will leave and take time to reflect if I can do business in this hostile environment, when companies are doing their best to mislead and force us inside IR35. The atmosphere is very negative and I'm really angry, but I shall remain professional.