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When you are the only contractor on site

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    When you are the only contractor on site

    Being the only contractor on site is something I try to avoid now. I have found it to be a negative. It isn't that I get lonely without other contractors, it's just that being the only one often means the client has never hired a contractor before/doesn't know how contracting works/has hired you as an experiment/constantly grumbles about your "pay" and so on. Have other CUKers experienced a downside to being the only contractor ? What happened, how did you manage it?
    Last edited by unixman; 21 March 2016, 22:39. Reason: And yes I have done a search

    #2
    I've been the only one in the area of business but not the only one on site. Didn't have anything to do with any of the others though. Came in delivered what they wanted, suggested a couple of things I'd seen at other clients could help and then left.

    I would have thought it is very unlikely to find a decent client that has never used a contractor before nowadays isn't it? Cut out the problem at source and just don't take gigs like this?

    Or you could just MTFU.
    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

    Comment


      #3
      Small companies may easily be in this situation. But then they don't have layers of HR, typically the MD is the HR. And may well have been a contractor at some point.
      Originally posted by MaryPoppins
      I'd still not breastfeed a nazi
      Originally posted by vetran
      Urine is quite nourishing

      Comment


        #4
        It probably depends on your area of expertise. Being the only contractor on site probably happens more to unix systems administrators like me.

        Comment


          #5
          Worse situation is where they've had one or two contractors before who've turned out dud. Then you come in and get tarred with the same brush...
          Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by psychocandy View Post
            Worse situation is where they've had one or two contractors before who've turned out dud. Then you come in and get tarred with the same brush...
            +1

            I remember my boss having a pop at me as another of his contractors would not talk to him about renewal - they would only talk to HR.

            There is another manager round here with a motor mouth. Do I blame my manager for that?

            AS ever, it is annoying. Just keep invoicing and look for another gig......

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by psychocandy View Post
              Worse situation is where they've had one or two contractors before who've turned out dud. Then you come in and get tarred with the same brush...
              Yeah.. Must be a nightmare following in a whining clockwatching mercenary disguised permie ...
              'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by BrilloPad View Post
                +1

                I remember my boss having a pop at me as another of his contractors would not talk to him about renewal - they would only talk to HR.

                There is another manager round here with a motor mouth. Do I blame my manager for that?

                AS ever, it is annoying. Just keep invoicing and look for another gig......
                One place I worked - the last contractor had been marched one day. Turned out he'd been doing god knows what on the internet and they worked out he'd used 70% of the entire companies internet usage on his own somehow. And apparently he'd sit there and do no work all day.

                Of course, this wound the permies up into a frenzy. Was not cool to be next contractor on site!
                Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by psychocandy View Post
                  One place I worked - the last contractor had been marched one day. Turned out he'd been doing god knows what on the internet and they worked out he'd used 70% of the entire companies internet usage on his own somehow. And apparently he'd sit there and do no work all day.

                  Of course, this wound the permies up into a frenzy. Was not cool to be next contractor on site!
                  Cool Story Bro...
                  'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by BrilloPad View Post
                    +1
                    I remember my boss having a pop at me as another of his contractors would not talk to him about renewal - they would only talk to HR.
                    That was a mistake. Why would a contractor talk to HR?

                    Comment

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