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As mentioned below most in demand devs end up contracting for 500-700 per day which can add up to 150-180k per year or more if you keep working like a full time

As mentioned below most in demand devs end up contracting for 500-700 per day which can add up to 150-180k per year or more if you keep working like a full time job. Permanent jobs have low salaries, there are rare exceptions or perm roles with 100-120k range but those are hard to find. I believe there are probably several reasons for this. 1. Labour laws and regulations. Once you hire a perm employee in U.K. and they pass the probation period, it is very very difficult to fire anybody with current laws. So companies don't want to pay high salaries and then they won't be able to easily get rid of a poor employee. 2. Demand. There is probably less tech industry in U.K. compared to banking and financial services. 3. Probably also a perception problem. Software engineering is not seen as a good job comparable to lawyer, doctor or banker. So engineering profession is not respected and companies don't think engineering jobs are worth more than 30-40k.

switch007 10y ago
> Once you hire a perm employee in U.K. and they pass the probation period, it is very very difficult to fire anybody with current laws. Which laws? The probation period seems to be quite diversionary for the employee - I know quite a few people who think that when they pass probation they're "safe". If you were employed after April 2012, the law prohibits you taking your employer to a tribunal for unfair dismissal unless you've been employed for 2 years (except for discrimination). More importantly, and far less discussed in all the HR/labour blogs on the web: in my experience and circles companies now make you quit by, for example, forcing a change in working requirements you can't meet, tearing up your old contract (and presenting a new one with worse terms), making changes to your job and so on. > 3. Probably also a perception problem. Software engineering is not seen as a good job comparable to lawyer, doctor or banker. So engineering profession is not respected and companies don't think engineering jobs are worth more than 30-40k. That I agree with, especially if the company's main product/service isn't software.
- J-dawg 10y ago
  Indeed, I wish we could get rid of this idea that it's so hard to fire people in the UK, and stop using it to justify low pay. Before that 2 year milestone you can basically be summarily dismissed. The probation period is meaningless. After 2 years it's harder, the employee would be able to bring a claim for constructive dismissal for the examples you give. IANAL, but I have personally witnessed people being fired from a small business. None of them had done anything especially terrible.

switch007 10y ago

> Once you hire a perm employee in U.K. and they pass the probation period, it is very very difficult to fire anybody with current laws. Which laws? The probation period seems to be quite diversionary for the employee - I know quite a few people who think that when they pass probation they're "safe". If you were employed after April 2012, the law prohibits you taking your employer to a tribunal for unfair dismissal unless you've been employed for 2 years (except for discrimination). More importantly, and far less discussed in all the HR/labour blogs on the web: in my experience and circles companies now make you quit by, for example, forcing a change in working requirements you can't meet, tearing up your old contract (and presenting a new one with worse terms), making changes to your job and so on. > 3. Probably also a perception problem. Software engineering is not seen as a good job comparable to lawyer, doctor or banker. So engineering profession is not respected and companies don't think engineering jobs are worth more than 30-40k. That I agree with, especially if the company's main product/service isn't software.

J-dawg 10y ago
Indeed, I wish we could get rid of this idea that it's so hard to fire people in the UK, and stop using it to justify low pay. Before that 2 year milestone you can basically be summarily dismissed. The probation period is meaningless. After 2 years it's harder, the employee would be able to bring a claim for constructive dismissal for the examples you give. IANAL, but I have personally witnessed people being fired from a small business. None of them had done anything especially terrible.