finders fee

mellymoo74

Anyone know if finders fees are enforceable? Temped at current place over 6 months ago. Not worked for agency since they are trying to charge 20k finders fee.

brightonman123

Any 'finders fee' would be an issue between agency and employer. You shouldn't pay them anything.

cazziebo

What's the situation? You temped there, then left, and then went back for a permanent role? Did the company seek you out or did you respond to a published ad?

If the company came back to you then it's quite likely that part of the agreement when they hired you as a temp was that if they were to recruit you in future they would be liable for a charge.

If you applied for the job independently - and can prove that - the agency are on to plums.

brightonman123

I think there may be a time limit to take-on fees

mellymoo74

It's the fact they are charging at all think it's cheeky

It wasn't advertised I found out about it through a mate who works there but they did see someone else and I approached them.

mellymoo74

cazziebo wrote: »

What's the situation? You temped there, then left, and then went back for a permanent role? Did the company seek you out or did you respond to a published ad?

If the company came back to you then it's quite likely that part of the agreement when they hired you as a temp was that if they were to recruit you in future they would be liable for a charge.

If you applied for the job independently - and can prove that - the agency are on to plums.

For me.its over 6 months so why should they feel they have a right to 20k cheeky sods

InsideInsurance

As others have said, its nothing to do with you.

Fees vary from 6-12 months duration, the company knew what they signed up to when they took you on. They evidently use agencies and so accept it as part of their recruitment costs

mellymoo74

Thanks for your help.

So despite it being nothing to do with me is it enforceable

engineer_amy

It depends on the contract between the company and the agency. The agency contract may have had an introduction clause, meaning fee is charged at x% of basic salary if the client engages a temp that worked for them within x months of the end of the assignment.
It would enforceable if signed by the client as it could be proved that the client knew the terms.

Our contracts state no engagement within 6 months of the end of an assignment. We had a situation where one client engaged a temp 5 months after the end of the assignment. We would have been within our rights to pursue this fee and on balance would have "won", however we were on good terms with the client , we still had other temps placed in the company and for the sake of a matter of weeks, we let it slide, as the loss of the relationship and loss of earnings would have outweighed the fee.

So i suppose it depends on the contract and the relationship between the agency and client.

mellymoo74

Thanks Amy, The owner thought it was 6 months and the fact they instantly threatened legal action and have a figure of 20k which is frankly laughable (I work a 3 day week it's on excess of my annual salary for this reason) makes me think their chancing their arm.
I would rather leave and contract for a bit than pay them a penny personally and have no objection to my ending up with a negative relationship as I won't be using them again plenty of nice agencies out there.

patman99

The one question that needs an answer and that is "how did they find-out"?. I would guess that the firm never told them.