State of the Market

[suityou01]

Software dev market's really, really quiet at the moment. I do wonder how much of this is the usual post-Christmas lull and how much of it is attributable to the ir35 mess.

An agent told me this morning that their client was only prepared to do contract to end of March, then they had a ban on contractors. Period. I think it's got a lot to do with IR35. I think this will be felt by everyone before long.

I may be wrong, but I do believe this is the IR35 denouement in the making.

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[Cirrus]

Rees Mogg said it would be alright. In Fifty Years or so...

Software dev market's really, really quiet at the moment. I do wonder how much of this is the usual post-Christmas lull and how much of it is attributable to the ir35 mess.

Difficult one that. It's not as if there is any other adverse factors. It's not as if somebody has thrown a £200 billion spanner into the works.

[DevUK]

Difficult one that. It's not as if there is any other adverse factors. It's not as if somebody has thrown a £200 billion spanner into the works.

I don't think that's much to do with this, specifically.

[DevUK]

An agent told me this morning that their client was only prepared to do contract to end of March, then they had a ban on contractors. Period. I think it's got a lot to do with IR35. I think this will be felt by everyone before long.

I may be wrong, but I do believe this is the IR35 denouement in the making.

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Contractor UK Forum mobile app

I do believe so, unfortunately.

Contracts running until end of March are something I'd only engage with if I could have a determination up-front, some assurance that the client wouldn't deem it 'inside' once they're liable - since HMRC consider when the payments are made, not when the work/contract is complete.

In either case, I've given myself a soft deadline of this coming Monday to get a sniff of something serious, some interview at least for an outside contract. Failing that I fear I will have to make the leap to the dark side and go perm again.

[suityou01]

I do believe so, unfortunately.

Contracts running until end of March are something I'd only engage with if I could have a determination up-front, some assurance that the client wouldn't deem it 'inside' once they're liable - since HMRC consider when the payments are made, not when the work/contract is complete.

In either case, I've given myself a soft deadline of this coming Monday to get a sniff of something serious, some interview at least for an outside contract. Failing that I fear I will have to make the leap to the dark side and go perm again.

I think you might also find it difficult to find permie work. The glut of ex contractors that beat you to it that have been benched since last year are testimony to that I'm afraid.

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[DevUK]

I think you might also find it difficult to find permie work. The glut of ex contractors that beat you to it that have been benched since last year are testimony to that I'm afraid.

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It's a good point, even the perm market's quiet - but relatively speaking, it's booming. This really would be a last resort, though. Even aside from the huge cut in take-home, I would be very disappointed to have to get back into the permanent game but like many others there's not a lot of options left. I have (many) bills to pay.

[suityou01]

It's a good point, even the perm market's quiet - but relatively speaking, it's booming. This really would be a last resort, though. Even aside from the huge cut in take-home, I would be very disappointed to have to get back into the permanent game but like many others there's not a lot of options left. I have (many) bills to pay.

Same. I am loath to take perm as the bullying in my last perm role has caused me to be on the scrap heap at the mercy of the snake oil therapists bleeding the NHS dry with their glib alchemised form of potted CBT therapy.

At least once I get my award from the Universal Credit system I can finally relax into the certainty I will lose everything I have worked for, which in the short termist view is a good thing as it means less bills.

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[CheeseSlice]

Technically, it's correct IR35 status should be determined by the contractor and customer together as all relationships are different and some contractors act as employees.

True but wouldn't you want to get this sorted out before agreeing final pricing and structure of contracts and payments first?

[FIERCE TANK BATTLE]

An agent told me this morning that their client was only prepared to do contract to end of March, then they had a ban on contractors. Period. I think it's got a lot to do with IR35. I think this will be felt by everyone before long.

Hah, whenever I hear 'ban on contractors' there's usually a panic as I'm heading out of the door and a swift negotiation.

[oliverson]

well, seems like my time has come as current client not extending my contract beyond its end date (end Feb). Change of management (for the worse), an army of Eastern Europeans via consultancy and a preference for permies to blame. Can't even say I've fallen foul of IR35, but I would imagine it's had some bearing.

I've not been benched since 2012 so it's been a good run but it is looking inevitable now. 5 weeks left to land something.

Dev skills
client-side (Angular, React)
server-side (Node.js, .NET)