I've been on my current independent contractor assignment for a little less than a year. I have about six months left with this location. It has been a pretty interesting assignment and I'm enjoying the work. The recruiting agency has been okay, a few pay errors and tech hiccups aside.
I got a notification that I need to sign a new contract to update it to reflect the new name change of the agency. Think going from “Smith and Associates” to “The Smith Agency PC”. I messaged my recruiter to ask what it is about and he verified that it was only “the lawyers said we need to update everyone's contract for the new name.”
Well, the number of pages in the contract has ballooned and I was raised right so I rolled up my sleeves and got to reading it. TOTALLY NOT ONLY A NAME CHANGE.
The section on separation from the contract for no cause includes the same “90 day notice” provision, but the responsibility for how I got paid if they end the contract early is gone and there is a new section stating $1500 per work day I would need to pay if I end the contract early. Plus, I would need to pay the room and board for whoever they bring in to replace me. If I contest having to pay it, I contractually pay them $5000 plus all lawyer fees.
I swear I'm not crazy. I pulled up my current contract and yep, this is all new. Not “just a name change”. I still might have taken this assignment if I had seen this clause in the original contract. I may have even signed the new contract if they had said, “Listen, too many people are leaving early and it is costing us a fortune.” I just don't feel comfortable being treated this way and I'm feeling the pressure to sign.
Is this kind of thing normal for independent contract work? I've never seen it before. Am I crazy for feeling deceived? Would you sign on with a company that does this? Would you stay with a company that does this?