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And this is precisely why one should be an independent contractor. Nobody expects or wants contractors to fit in -- they want to get their shit done in time o

And this is precisely why one should be an independent contractor. Nobody expects or wants contractors to fit in -- they want to get their shit done in time or have a whipping boy in case things go south. And big cos ( your banks/funds etc.) are willing to pay well for that service. As a contractor in Canada, where healthcare costs are not a problem, there is really really no incentive for me to subsume myself to a bureaucracy not to mention that I am too accented and overly pigmented to ever look like the hiring manager's cousin.

at-fates-hands 14y ago
Completely agree. As someone who navigated those CYA waters of HR for many years, I'm glad I switched over to being a contractor. My health care is taken care of, and I don't have to worry about all the BS the "employees" have to deal with like pumping up your yearly goals, and working overtime just to get a 1% higher pay increase at the end of the year. I come, I go, I get paid. Simple, without any entanglements.
Articulate 14y ago
Independent contractors can get pretty beat up in situations like this- there are really strict rules about the price increases a contractor can ask for from one year to the next- and often it is less than 5% and those contractors aren't able to complain because the alternative to to just not renew the contract- which is the right of the organization- being a contractor in many ways leaves you with less security (especially to do stuff like speak up when a regular employee is doing bad work) and less pay.
- r00fus 14y ago
  This depends - in a truly independent contracting situation - ie, the contractor has a corporation (usu. S-corp) and manages their own P.O. with the client company, there is incredible freedom and ability to negotiate - you are, however, effectively re-negotiating very often (sometimes daily if the PO is running low). If you happen to be a contractor working for Volt, Adecco, Robert Half or some other staffing firm, then you are in a different league and are often in a worse position than as an established employee or a truly independent contractor... you might have some basic benefits and 401k, but this is body-shop territory and it's advisable to consider this situation as non-permanent.

at-fates-hands 14y ago

Completely agree. As someone who navigated those CYA waters of HR for many years, I'm glad I switched over to being a contractor. My health care is taken care of, and I don't have to worry about all the BS the "employees" have to deal with like pumping up your yearly goals, and working overtime just to get a 1% higher pay increase at the end of the year. I come, I go, I get paid. Simple, without any entanglements.

Articulate 14y ago

Independent contractors can get pretty beat up in situations like this- there are really strict rules about the price increases a contractor can ask for from one year to the next- and often it is less than 5% and those contractors aren't able to complain because the alternative to to just not renew the contract- which is the right of the organization- being a contractor in many ways leaves you with less security (especially to do stuff like speak up when a regular employee is doing bad work) and less pay.

r00fus 14y ago
This depends - in a truly independent contracting situation - ie, the contractor has a corporation (usu. S-corp) and manages their own P.O. with the client company, there is incredible freedom and ability to negotiate - you are, however, effectively re-negotiating very often (sometimes daily if the PO is running low). If you happen to be a contractor working for Volt, Adecco, Robert Half or some other staffing firm, then you are in a different league and are often in a worse position than as an established employee or a truly independent contractor... you might have some basic benefits and 401k, but this is body-shop territory and it's advisable to consider this situation as non-permanent.