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Mark Bolam

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Everything posted by Mark Bolam

  1. Mark Bolam
    What a ridiculously reasonable answer.
  2. Mark Bolam
    No harm in checking mate.
  3. Mark Bolam
    Nice one Ben. I’m sure some on here will still argue with you like!
  4. Mark Bolam
    He can’t be SE and work for you full time.
  5. Mark Bolam
    He can’t do that Ben, it’s totally illegal. Of course bona-fide subcontractors should have their own insurance, but there’s a big difference between them and freelancers.
  6. Mark Bolam
    I’d look at it more simply Huck. Check your freelancers are covered by your insurance, and if they aren’t then move insurers. Rich’s story bought it home to me, he was insured (as a freelancer) by the same company who were insuring the main contractor. They can’t have it both ways, and they can’t be charging two premiums to cover the same event. Of course they’d like to, and I’m sure they’d be happy to take money from any freelancers. It always made me laugh when I saw freelancers advertising that they were ‘fully insured’. I’d think ‘Bingo, I’ll get him in to do that 200’ dead pop overhanging the Ferrari garage’. Ben, just ring your insurance company, they will soon clarify.
  7. Mark Bolam
    We’ve the rest of 2021 to take the piss out of you, pisshead! Feel for the dogs though, I love a good firework on November 5th and that’s it now.
  8. Mark Bolam
    Let’s hope he meant that to 2020! We’ve clashed on here a few times Paddy, but you seem like the sort of bloke who can take it, and give it back!!! I was lucky enough to get into this game, later in life, where Arbtalk was the springboard for actually putting names to faces at shows, shops and events. Something we can’t do at the minute, obviously. Too many new stagers come on here and talk the talk, but leave when they find they can’t actually walk the walk. To an extent, some have probably forged an excellent arb career, but just couldn’t be arsed with the internet bs. You’re maybe a bit different, a brain on shoulders broad enough to take the stick. Happy New Year to you anyway mate, let’s make it a good one.
  9. Mark Bolam
    3 kids and the snip here Paddy, the procreation isn’t the problem!
  10. Mark Bolam
    Happy New Year Arbtalkers. Are you talking about the the Jools Holland thing I put on as a countdown? I thought I was back in 1990. The bloke just doesn’t age, does he? Incredible. Make 2021 a good one folks. My resolutions are to smash even more chin-ups, think before I type more, and become less obsessed with sex.
  11. Mark Bolam
    I wouldn’t quote on a job where someone wanted 50% on lombardys. What are they thinking of?
  12. Mark Bolam
    Don’t you think that door has been open for a very long time already?!
  13. Mark Bolam
    To be fair, I think we knew it was iffy in answer to the OP’s question from page 1.
  14. Mark Bolam
    We have a winner!
  15. Mark Bolam
    It would actually be corporate manslaughter, and it would be me in the dock, not my freelancer who doesn’t have his own insurance. Because it’s my job, and him having his own insurance would be worthless. Good thread, though, and as Mick has said if it makes everyone check their own EL policies regarding using freelancers/labour-only subcontractors, then that can only be a good thing.
  16. Mark Bolam
    Whose PAYE? Some freelancers climb for tens of different companies. If my freelancers cock up it’s still on me, and my insurance. You might understand it all a bit better when you’ve got a few years under your harness, like most of the people on here you seem determined to argue with.
  17. Mark Bolam
    It says ‘No’ to ‘Are all employees paid under the PAYE threshold’.
  18. Mark Bolam
    Don’t worry Mick, I know they are covered. Doesn’t matter really, I’m the only one likely to have a major cock-up!
  19. Mark Bolam
    My insurance company know that I have no full time PAYE staff, but seem pretty happy to take my money every year for Employers Liability. That would suggest to me that my freelancers are covered. I’m pretty sure the law would see it like that as well, or I could do them for fraud.
  20. Mark Bolam
    They would say that wouldn’t they? £££££££ As pointed out in Rich’s case, you can’t be insured for the same job twice. In his case it turned into an embarrassing bun-fight between the same insurance co! Imagine if I was bought in as a freelancer (with my own insurance), and at the direction of the main contractor cut a limb that wiped out a garage. Who’s insurance co. pays?
  21. Mark Bolam
    Apologies for double post, I was distracted as Santa has just done the rounds! No snow, so he was on a trailer towed by an Elf driving an old grey Fergy. The Elf is a mate who is a full time fireman who also has a gardening business and does a bit of coppicing. I hope he’s not charging for haulage of Santa, Rishi’s head would explode!
  22. Mark Bolam
    You have fought your corner well on the employment front Paddy. I hope you’re wrong or my company is banjaxed! I work for my mate on some jobs, he works for me on others. We both use the same freelance climber. We all freelance as a team for other companies (under their direction) on bigger jobs, and all do bits and pieces on our own. None of us want to be PAYE for anyone, it would be virtually impossible to work out what was going on! We all submit our own tax return and haven’t had any issues. I hope you’re wrong about Rishi. A lot of people will be screwed if you aren’t. Not just arb and forestry, but builders, landscapers, farmers and a lot of others!
  23. Mark Bolam
    You have fought your corner well on the employment front Paddy. I hope you’re wrong or my company is banjaxed! I work for my mate on some jobs, he works for me on others. We both use the same freelance climber. We all freelance as a team for other companies (under their direction) on bigger jobs, and all do bits and pieces on our own. None of us want to be PAYE for anyone, it would be virtually impossible to work out what was going on! We all submit our own tax return and haven’t had any issues. I hope you’re wrong about Rishi. A lot of people will be screwed if you aren’t. Not just arb and forestry, but builders, landscapers, farmers, groundworkers etc. In your own case it sounds like the pandemic has given you the excuse you needed to jump. You can’t put a price on doing something you enjoy, so fair play to you.
  24. Mark Bolam
    Paddy this last bit makes a lot more sense. Sounds dodgy as hell.
  25. Mark Bolam
    I don’t think he’s listening Eggs.

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