Ask HN: Why are Kill-Fees Important?

i need some very strong arguments here to submit to my recruiter for consideration. They are operating without kill-fees in their contract with the end-client When i inquired about it, this was their reply : "I am sorry to hear that the engagement was not as long as expected. Our model is 100% time-based meaning that you will get paid for the time that you work. In an ideal world, we would like clients to provide at least 2 weeks notice before closing an engagement, however unforeseen elements can come into play and sometimes engagements need to be closed with short notice due to a number of varying reasons. Did you manage to receive additional feedback from the recruiter of this specific position? If not, I recommend syncing up with them directly and hearing any feedback which may have caused the duration to be shorter than expected. Also consider that the estimated length is often simply an estimate and can change according to priorities. During the initial ramp up phase, I recommend defining clear timelines and milestones so that you and the client are clear of the expectations." [update]-- Another partner chimed in with: That said, if a sub-contractor had an emergency and had to stop working, for example, we wouldn't want that sub-contractor to be held to the same client standard you advocate. Our policies do our best to work fairly for all parties, as well as retain and attract top clients and talent... We are always working to make these better. Protecting freelancers is top of our priority list.