self employed trial period

[seamus1979]

So have been on the cards for twelve years.
Got made redundant just before Christmas after a row with my boss after I took a day off when my son got taken to hospital.

Anyway
Ring around for a start and go for an interview. The boss says I will be on a three month trial period self employed and then I will be taken on the cards. This is my first time being self employed. Its 160 a day which is only twenty quid a day more than what I was on when on the cards.
So I have my own cheap little van that I use when I do my own little privates. I have been on the firm six weeks working as a subby using my own van and its been all fairly local jobs which has been sweet. Slowly but surely the distances have been getting bigger and now I'm being asked to do two minor jobs on Friday which are fifty miles apart and the first one is forty miles from home. This is all new territory for me but with what its gonna cost me in wear and tear and fuel in my van it's a **** deal. My little van is fourteen years old so i dont have much confidence in doing big distances with it. I've been told after the trial period I will be taken on the cards and given a van.
Any advice would be great. Am I having the **** taken out of me?

 

[Sintra]

If I was you I would be looking at the bigger picture rather than worrying about clocking up a few extra miles.

 

[telectrix]

as above^^^^^. as long as there's some local work to take the sting out. maybe you could politely ask if there was a chance of fuel allowance for the more distant jobs.

 

[seamus1979]

I guess its a new environment for me. I've had twelve years of light industrial installation work, so six months on one job then six months on the next one. I ain't ever really done jobbing.I guess the decider is what happens at the end of the trial period.

 

[newtothis]

Self employed - keep yer petrol & maintenance receipts for your van.
Claim this back when you're doing your tax return.

 

[ferg]

As above really.

The 2 wee jobs are keeping you going for the day.

Better than sitting at home watching Jeremy Kyle earning nothing.

 

[sparkdog]

Just a wee jock & doris.

 

[UNG]

I suppose the big thing here is what contract you have with them and what get outs they have to let you go after the trial period and find someone else to string along with the same promises. I would be very weary of being taken for a sucker the rate you are getting isn't too bad but could soon be unattractive if the expenses eat into it too much

 

[telectrix]

one pertinent question is "do you get paid hourly rate for travel time or just time on site?". this would in some part mitigate against your travel costs.

 

[Marvo]

I think you've just got to communicate and often it's not what you say it's the way you say it. If there's a trend of increasing distances then broach the subject with your employer/contractor and suggest that maybe some kind of allowance might be fair over a certain distance or maybe even better if you've been offered a company van after the trial period suggest to him you're happy to use your own transport locally but with the age of your van being a worry can you use the company van for the more remote jobs.

Just as a general rule, if you're going to ask for something try to sandwich the request in between two pieces of good news.

So, instead of walking in and saying the travel costs are too high and you want more money.... rather catch him informally and first tell him how excited you are to be working for this company and how you're investing in some new tools or new tester or whatever to look more professional when your trial period is over and is there any chance you can use the company van for the more remote jobs because you're worried your van is old and it will reflect badly to customers if you break down. Oh and please can you also have some company business cards as well so you can approach the neighbours of your customers and hand them out to your friends to promote the business.

 

[marc8]

me personally i would keep my head down for the 3 months & get on with it, show them how good you are at what you do make it so letting you go would be a mistake & then at the review i would bring it up, as above would do it in a round about way.
see what happens after the 3 months if the van & the employment starts & also what your PAYE earnings will be, after all you are a subby now & you normally earn more money as a subby, when you go PAYE you will get 28 days holiday & they are supplying you with a van i would be surprised if you get £160 P/D then but stranger things happen.
good luck.

 

[seamus1979]

Well what a shocker. The boss spoke to me last week saying there won't be any upcoming positions for on the cards.
Now this morning my van has died.

 

[Risteard]

Well what a shocker. The boss spoke to me last week saying there won't be any upcoming positions for on the cards.
Now this morning my van has died.

It is highly doubtful that self-employment could be used to trial someone for employment. It is likely that you could not be considered to be genuinely self-employed so you could suggest to him that what he is doing is illegal and that he might owe back-payments of National Insurance contributions, holiday pay etc. if you were so inclined. Not sure how far it will get you though.