When you are the only contractor on site

[nomadd]

Have other CUKers experienced a downside to being the only contractor ? What happened, how did you manage it?

Yep. Was introduced to the team on day one as "This is Nomadd. He's a contractor. His job is to make himself redundant. Hopefully he won't be here long.."

I was so insulted with that introduction that I stayed for 4.5 years, before finally leaving of my own accord. Had them by the balls and made the most of it - large rate increases every 12 months. Was told the IT Director hated me as I was "the highest paid individual in the company."

When your only competition on-site is from Permies, you can make a lot money.

[Hobosapien]

The positive I find is that is allows me to differentiate from the permies as 'the contractor' much the same as there's only one MD on site, so automatically there is a distinction which helps keep working practices IR35 friendly. If more contractors at the client then their behaviour can be problematic if they do things that would be an issue IR35 wise and the client then assumes I'd be willing to do the same.

The negative is that 'the contractor' can be a cause of unrest in an otherwise permie team if seen to be too different.

I remember one team meeting when the leader moved onto non-project business and started going on about staff performance reviews and training courses. Team lead said on another team they were also including the contractors in the performance reviews as if to query whether I wanted to be involved. I just kept quiet and shook my head when they all looked at me. "There's no f in way" was going through my mind but kept it to internal voice only. Never heard any more about being included in such permie stuff so guess they took the hint.

[anonymouse]

I'm leaving on the 31st, there's 5 permies to take over my workload. One of them has just moved into the BSA role, and has a lot of catching up to do. He's just said to the senior PM, "I'm not going to be looking at the stuff, and don't do testing". SPM never said a word.

There's a code delivery next week or the week after. It'll be fun to see what happens, but I won't be here. 7 months on site and all the budget has been used up, supplier still not delivered a working solution, and the permies won't test it. Also the Business Objects dev has 2 weeks to deliver, before he moves to a new role. The business is now panicking, again, but still hasn't got a budget to take me on directly.

Public sector, money for old rope. At least I can listen to the radio. I'm the only contractor is the analysis section.

[unixman]

Yep. Was introduced to the team on day one as "This is Nomadd. He's a contractor. His job is to make himself redundant. Hopefully he won't be here long.."

I was so insulted with that introduction that I stayed for 4.5 years, before finally leaving of my own accord. Had them by the balls and made the most of it - large rate increases every 12 months. Was told the IT Director hated me as I was "the highest paid individual in the company."

When your only competition on-site is from Permies, you can make a lot money.

Then it would seem that being the sole contractor was a big positive ?

[SueEllen]

Have other CUKers experienced a downside to being the only contractor ? What happened, how did you manage it?

Nope.

Then again I've been the only contractor because other contractors' projects have finished and/or they have been walked.

Next.

[VillageContractor]

First contractor my current client (direct) have had in a long long time. So their contracts weren't up to scratch, payment process not defined etc.

Painful but fortunately the day to day interactions are good

[nomadd]

Then it would seem that being the sole contractor was a big positive ?

Has been for me the few times I've been the only contractor on-site.

I've often found the Permies are, well, Permies, for the first few days/weeks: insular, insecure and paranoid about "outsiders". Just get your head down and get on with the job and they soon seem to come around.

The decent Permies quickly learn that you have an awful lot you can teach them, so it's in their best interest to get to know you. Plus the fact that the management, who are paying a small fortune (in relative terms) for you to be on-site, would skin them alive if you reported any misbehaviour that would lead you to "reconsidering your position."

The contract I mentioned above, a Bank, was filled with Permies who thought they were untouchable. I lost count of the number of them who were "let go" as they didn't fit in with the new Company Direction (tm), whilst I was there nearly half a decade. And that's been pretty much mirrored at my current site. I keep my head down and deliver, all the time watching dozens of "Me? I've a job for life, mate.." Permies be shown the door. Currently 2.5 years and counting... Kerching.

[Hobosapien]

Then again I've been the only contractor because other contractors' projects have finished and/or they have been walked.

A few of times (3 IIRC) I've been the last contractor during project wind down.

Maybe I was the best.

Or cheapest.

At one of them I was the last one while several others went permie at same client during the post 2000 turn down. A relatively cheap way for the client to keep most of the same team who were a good bunch so worked out for them. I just took a year out to try other things (unsuccessfully) and was back in contracting about a year later and not looked back since.

[Hobosapien]

The contract I mentioned above, a Bank, was filled with Permies who thought they were untouchable. I lost count of the number of them who were "let go" as they didn't fit in with the new Company Direction (tm), whilst I was there nearly half a decade. And that's been pretty much mirrored at my current site. I keep my head down and deliver, all the time watching dozens of "Me? I've a job for life, mate.." Permies be shown the door. Currently 2.5 years and counting... Kerching.

I've seen this kind of thing too where the permies have to re-apply for their own jobs or alternative positions during a big restructure, some are made redundant as a way of getting shut of those not brown nosing the management enough, and some are demoted/moved sideways in favour of others.

Reminds me why going permie is not a safer long term alternative for those wanting a 'career'. Sometimes being the only permie in a team is worse than being the only contractor.

[psychocandy]

Yep. Was introduced to the team on day one as "This is Nomadd. He's a contractor. His job is to make himself redundant. Hopefully he won't be here long.."

I was so insulted with that introduction that I stayed for 4.5 years, before finally leaving of my own accord. Had them by the balls and made the most of it - large rate increases every 12 months. Was told the IT Director hated me as I was "the highest paid individual in the company."

When your only competition on-site is from Permies, you can make a lot money.

Thats well rude that is....