>I understand that if you are a contractor to a body shop, the body shop is 
>often not paid for 45 days (I hear IBM is one of the culprits here), then >the 
>body shop won't pay it's people for another 45 days. 90 days before the worker 
>gets paid is not anywhere near fair, but they got you.

Like many things in life, it all depends, on:
(1) The Contract Agency,
(2) How valuable your services are to the client,
(3) What State you are working in, and
(4) Whether you are on a 1099 or W2 contract.

If you are on a W2 contract and you don't get paid in a timely fashion, in many 
states you can get the State Labor Dept to pursue the agency.  If you are on 
1099 terms, get a lawyer.

If you are smart, you will ensure that your contract has language to make it 
crystal clear when you get paid and what recourse you have if they are late.  
Like being able to offer your services directly to the client, terminating your 
relationship with the agency middleman.  Sometimes just the threat of informing 
the client is enough to get the agency to pay up.  Especially true if the 
client would be in a bind without your services.

Since my layoff from my fulltime job in 2008 I have had two contracts.  The 
first was for a NJ body shop.  Terms were Net30 on a W2 contract, which in NJ 
is illegal, but at least during the term of the project I at least got paid 
more or less on time.  But once the project was cancelled, it took the 
involvement of the NJ Labor Dept and nearly nine months of pressure to get the 
last two months paid.

For the past three years, I have been on a 1099 contract with a local staffing 
agency here in Des Moines.  Terms are Net45, but each and every paycheck has 
been there when promised.

Eric, best of luck in the future.

John

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