Bench Time

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Continuing on our quest to give HMRC facts and figures about the world of contracting - would you be able to give me an idea of bench time between contracts?

I am attempting to demonstrate that the comparison between a permanent worker and a contractor when trying to promote 'fairness' in the tax system is misguided

Really appreciate your help guys

[Alias]

I think for me it's an average of around 3-4 months with the longest being 9 months

[eek]

I think for me it's an average of around 3-4 months with the longest being 9 months

It may be worth adding average contract length as well...

[Alias]

It may be worth adding average contract length as well...

I'd say an average of around 9 months contract length...

[ShandyDrinker]

It may be worth adding average contract length as well...

Good idea...

I often have smaller contracts (such as a small website or some such) running concurrently with a main contract so in this instance I refer to bench time as being time out of a main contract.

For me contract length is typically up to 2 years. Typical bench time is 2-4 months but that does usually include holiday time of 2-3 weeks.

The inference from successive governments is that as a collective we seem to be able to walk straight out of one contract and into another with an endless supply of contracts to choose from... I only wish it were that easy.

[northernladuk]

Average time for me is about 6 months but this is skewed with quite a few 3 monthers and one for a couple of years.

[malvolio]

Average contract length since starting is around 9 months with 3-4 month gaps in between. Longest unbroken bench time was 14 months, partially voluntarily since my mother was ill, but have had a couple of highly involuntary six month breaks. I have always budgeted on working 7 months a year and that has help up pretty well since 1996.

Also need to be mindful of what people do. For example, while programming and ops are long-term activities, I mostly do process design and improvement and/or transition management; I don't expect to go back to a job once done since that would mean I hadn't done it right the first time!

[Chuck]

I spent all of 2008-9 on the bench. That hurt. A lot.

Up until then, I have usually only had a gap if I chose to have a gap. The market seems to have died quite significantly though so I expect to have gaps pretty much every time now.

Last gap was 5 months. Given the previous break, I was much better prepared this time around.

[anonymouse]

Contract length typically 9 months, up to 2 years. Gap is usually around 4 months, but sometimes is 0 months, the longest was 12 months.

[AJ1982]

Longest time on the bench was one month.

Client #1 - 3 months contract, secured a new contact with Client #2 in last few days. Had a week off.
Client #2 - 18 months, several renewals. Month spent on the bench after this.
Client #3 - Rolling monthly contract, was approached by a former employer Client #4.
Client #4 - Here till New Years eve at the moment !