For Frigg's sake

Re: For Frigg's sake

Neal Palk — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:53:00 GMT

I'm not reading this as a locum assignment but the hiring of an employee? Different 'rules' for each...............

Can the OP clarify please?

p.s the Sale of Good Act is totally irrelevant here..........people are not possessions under the law, nor was there an invitation to treat!

Re: For Frigg's sake

Neal Palk — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 19:51:10 GMT

Every agency I've ever worked with indeed have a scale of ffes which increase as the tenure increases. Less than a month is typically little/nothing. What did you agree with them at the outset?

Not using agencies is often a good solution to this!

Re: For Frigg's sake

Julian Earl — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:48:06 GMT

Just a few years ago I had a locum at short notice from a well-known agency and who was supposed to be both fluent in English and experienced in both small and large animal work. We could hardly understand a word he said, and vice versa, and his "experience" was three weeks (or months, I forget) seeing practice with an equine practice in the UK. His hands-on experience was meat inspection. I was not happy the first day, rang the agency the second day, was away the third day on other business and sacked him on the Thursday. He had never speyed a cat.

I refused to pay the locum agency but, somewhat generously I thought, paid half of the bill for those days. I still had to pay for his accommodation of course and for hiring a car but it was almost a total disaster. The locum agency were argumentative but in hindsight I wish I had paid them even less as he was far from what was described.

HTH.

Re: For Frigg's sake

HMC — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:35:47 GMT

Was this for a permanent position and did you not interview her first if this was the case?

What does the small print say?

Re: For Frigg's sake

Bob Russell — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:18:04 GMT

Check the small print. The agencies I have dealt with have had a sliding scale of fees for permanent placements. Three weeks is more of a locum situation so subject to legal advice (BVA helpline or practice insurance legal helpline) so I would suggest an offer in line with their normal charging structure.

Did the locum agency supply suitable references? If they have indicated in writing that the candidates are of high caliber get them to back this up.

Re: For Frigg's sake

Jill Nute — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:48:47 GMT

Having sat on an extremely sad DC case where I seem to remember a locum vet was removed from the register, it was noteworthy that the evidence, which was given openly during the hearing, indicated that the recruitment agency in question had been alerted by an employing vs of the locum's personal problems involving self administration of scheduled drugs removed from the practice. The agency did absolutely nothing about it and continued to place the locum with other practices, without even alerting them to take precautionary action over the DD cabinet access. I don't know but imagine there must be some sort of regulator for employment/locum agencies, anyone know? Jill Nute