[ceecrb1]

Ok, I've just confirmed a job in the UK for the whole month of august but myself and the event organiser forgot to think about PLI and other technicalities to do with me living in Spain.
So the question is, for those who know far more than me about this.

I am currently employed within an events company, and have "their blessing" to do this job as being so far away its not competition, and as in august spain technically "shuts down". I would be using up my holiday time and recuperating extra hours worked.
I am registered as living in Spain.

The theory is that I can be paid into my account in the UK, as this one months wage will not even get close to point where I'd need to start paying tax (over the year) and its the only UK earnings I am intending on getting this year. So technically getting paid should be easy.
Should I look for PLI in the uk? I'm worried that being registered as living in spain, they might not give me it, or worse they will give me it, but if something goes wrong and we check the fine print it turns out I'm not covered...
OR should I find some international PLI insurance here in spain?
Would I be able to use my current employer for this? The only drawback is that while my direct manager (the company lawyer) has no problem with this, the company director wont find out.... Hes got a bite as large as his bark so the lawyer told me its a "between us" arrangement.


Would BECTU membership be an option?

The Idea was originally to "rent me out" from my mothers autocue company so I´d fall under the pli and ni etc from there and all would be above board.. but shes converted to bectu and so its "named" rather than company-wide.

My passport, driving licence and bank account are all still registered to my parents address... technically I'm just registered as out of the uk in the tax office.


I am reading the BECTU Rules etc and It seems that just being a member gives me their PLI.. (correct?)
and they say this about oversees members:

Quote

(b) Members relocating permanently or long-term outside the United Kingdom and Ireland may apply for overseas membership of the union. They shall pay such subscription rate as the National Executive Committee shall from time to time determine, but their entitlements shall be limited to receiving, free of charge, the union's journal and to requesting such advice as the union may be able to provide on matters affecting their employment overseas or with regard to rights in relation to work previously done whilst in BECTU membership in the UK. Overseas members shall have no right to vote or hold any office in the union.

So really that means thats if I register as being in spain, I have no PLI with them...
BUT I still have my passport, bank etc all under my parents address where I always lived, and it will only be for work within the UK.. so maybe its ok?

Maybe I should phone them on monday...

edit:
No, now I've found what I was looking for in the PLI "Key facts" pdf... where it clearly states for members RESIDENT within great britain.

This post has been edited by ceecrb1: 16 June 2012 - 06:33 PM

[kerry davies]

Just my experience but I have tried to get limited time PLI/ELI in the UK before now and been told it is only available by the year. I was offered one policy which, curiously enough, was as expensive by the quarter as my annual policy. It may be best for the event organiser to sort out the UK end of things on your behalf.

Good luck, Colin, and do let us know if you are successful.

[ceecrb1]

I'm very lucky in one aspect. My girlfriend has a doctorate in economics so has an idea of whats going on.

Her suggestion is simple, carry on "being spanish". In 24 hours she can register me as freelance. It should cost me about 250€ a month for this (in spain as a freelancer you pay the government every month wether you work or not). And I can get pli from august till end of december which wasnt too expensive.. We are going to visit some insurance companys, more to find out about using spanish pli in the uk..
It might cost more in the end but we'd have it very clear that I've got a valid pli.

First time doing all this! I've only ever worked inside a company on a monthly wage... Another thing to learn!

This post has been edited by ceecrb1: 16 June 2012 - 07:42 PM

[djw1981]

Would you be subject to UK national insurance, if paid in UK, since that is paid on weekly/monthly earnings (via PAYE) not annualised IIRC.

[ceecrb1]

Ok I have everything fixed and I'll explain it here for any body with similar problems in the future.

Really it all needs to be done from the country in which you reside.
In my case it was as simple as registering myself as freelance.
As this will be done during my time off from my full time employer (a mix of holiday days an MANY MANY overtime hours to earn back), they will be paying social security/NI etc so in this case it wont cost me anything extra as its already being paid. Registering as freelance was free and as simple as filling out a form, handing it over and having it stamped.... they will punch the numbers into the computer but as of when you have it stamped, you get your carbon copy and you are free to start working.
For the case of spain, the only numbers I need to state on the invoice relating to me is my ID card number, which will give the employment and tax offices, banks etc here all the information and links they need.

The part I dont understand, but my girlfriend (who has a doctorate in economics) and the man in the tax office today confirmed that the invoices will be tax exempt, no vat no nothing..... I thought that someone somewhere would be looking to charge something, but they say no..
so maybe we should all live just across the boarder from another country and cross the border to work every day??

The PLI is also comming from spain. It took a personal visit to an insurace sales office, and they are having to make a custom policy because it is short term and because it is outside of this country.. but it should be pretty cheap.. I have had the venue and event confirm that they DO have pli and technically I dont need it but as I am saving money in some areas, I And they would still preffer that I get it, even if just incase there any form of inspection and we can tick all the boxes and not be worried about this "unusual case" not confusing any inspectors who may not have seen it before.
They were kind enough to give me offers of insurance for just the time I am working there or till the 31st december.
What they are really doing.. is basing it on a temporary policy they give to freelance staff who work at any local fiestas in spain.. IE 2 weeks or so in a town as a bar tender or a dj etc in a temporary open air club... They are using that as a base then modifying it for a sound tech and inside spain and also inside the EU.

So now, its pretty much, do the job, send an invoice and wait for the cash to arrive and we all go home happy.