TPI - FAQ: Questions About Contracts (General)

Four weeks before your contract comes to a close, we will contact both you and your client manager to see if your contract is going to be extended. If there is no extension, we will begin to actively market you for new positions. This gives us plenty of time to find you a new opportunity. You are also open to market your resume to other resources in order to keep your options open.

Q. Do I continue to get paid between contracts?

No. Once your contract ends, we do not have so-called “bench time” in which you continue to get paid.

Q. How do you find my next assignment if my current contract is coming to an end?

Our goal is to keep you on staff and place you again and again! Your resume and skills will be proactively marketed by our team of Account Managers (the TPI contact points for our clients). They know your exact end date, key skills and desired rate, and they use these to find you an open position.

Q. How do you determine your bill rates for consultants?

We work with our clients to determine the fair market bill rate, taking into consideration several market factors, such as available skills in the market and what is being offered for similar experience levels. TPI then develops a fair margin on top of this rate which covers all General and Administrative overhead costs (such as FICA, FUTA, and SUTA), Workers’ Compensation, Medicare and an insurance contribution incurred by TPI. Additionally, we incur expenses associated with running our operation that are included in that rate. We then quote this rate to the client manager when we present you as a candidate.

Q. How often do you invoice your clients for consultants?

Our billing cycle is uniquely tailored for each client but typically ranges from biweekly to monthly. All hours are reported to the engagement manager on a time sheet, which is approved by the manager and sent to TPI once every two weeks. We then input those approved hours into our billing system, which generates invoices to our clients on the specified client schedule. All consultants submit time sheets and are paid on a biweekly basis independent of the client – this helps us ensure that your payment is made in a consistent and timely manner.

Q. I have been on a contract for “x” months, at what point can I expect a raise?

This varies from client to client. It is best to contact your TPI Account Manager to find out how your client typically handles this issue.