State of the Market

[oliverson]

You aren't out of WORK. You are out of CONTRACT. Your work is running your business. Is a guy running a shop out of work when he's not selling something to a customer? Is he out of work when he's closed the shop and can't sell anything doing inventory, cash etc?

Ha ha ha.

[oliverson]

That's funny. I just got renewed for another year. Few of my colleagues ever go to the office the one "onsite day" at the Dutch big four bank I contract to. I've been there exactly twice so far in 4 1/2 years. A third attempt to go into the office turned into just a weed run and I ended up working from the Dutch hotel as there was nobody on the team there that day.

Two of my team members just got promoted this week and new staff will come onboard to replace them. From what I hear my team is not an exception.

I just read the Dutch government plans to expand immigration to make up for a massive labour shortage.

You really don't think the issue might be this little mistake they call brexit? The government seems to think so but can't seem to change enoigh of the public's mind. Instead, they are left with tacing the citizens to death.

^^^^Permie disguised as contractor right here!!! ^^^^

Throwing in the Brexit reference as well. Laughable. Is it any surprise that HMRC thinks we are all disguised employees with this kind of thinking/approach?

[oliverson]

So, finally my security screening appears to be coming to an end and I'll be free to go 'on site' (my home office) from early next week it seems.

Aside from the cash, I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle again and building on my long track record of delivery for my client. I say client (singular) because the other opportunity, delivering it alongside my main contract, hasn't transpired. Guess that leaves me free to dedicate that time to my plan B's. All good.

Great weekend everybody.

[WTFH]

Throwing in the Brexit reference as well. Laughable. Is it any surprise that HMRC thinks we are all disguised employees with this kind of thinking/approach?

Aren’t you trying to get work in the UK while living in Spain? Almost like you are disguising yourself for tax purposes.

Let’s hope that in your near role you pay a fair amount of tax in the UK.

[oliverson]

Aren’t you trying to get work in the UK while living in Spain? Almost like you are disguising yourself for tax purposes.

Let’s hope that in your near role you pay a fair amount of tax in the UK.

I don’t know where you get this idea that I live in Spain, I don’t. I do, however, spend a few months there each year usually, well within the 90 day rule. In fact just around 80 days in 2025.

[herman_g]

^^^^Permie disguised as contractor right here!!! ^^^^

Throwing in the Brexit reference as well. Laughable. Is it any surprise that HMRC thinks we are all disguised employees with this kind of thinking/approach?

I don't live in the UK so don't really care what HMRC thinks. I don't even live in the Netherlands. I run an EU business that has an SOW with a Dutch bank. I don't have the generous banking benefits (discount loans, mortgages, credit card rates) the bank's employees have. Nor do I have the generous pension system or security. Nothing about the relationship with my client violates the tax laws of Netherlands or the tax laws of where I reside.

Half of my contract work since immigrating to the former EU state of the United Kingdom was on the continent. Brexit has messed up the UK so badly I can never see myself living there again. Last year I managed to get permanent EU long term residence status and now have full rights I once enjoyed with this useless document called a UK passport.

I met a really nice Sikh gentleman on a plane last week. He has a small Fintech firm and told me Brexit has messed up his business to no end. He told me his office in shoreditch was part of a booming community pre-brexit and is now a ghost-town as his Fintech company and his neighbours' no longer hit the shortlist on EU proposals but it was never an issue before.

But I guess you lot, many of whom openly admit to voting for that disaster, know better.

[sadkingbilly]

Would that be 100% WF 'old peoples' Home?

:-D

i'm working, sonny.
you're whingeing..
'nuff said.

[sadkingbilly]

So, finally my security screening appears to be coming to an end and I'll be free to go 'on site' (my home office) from early next week it seems.

Aside from the cash, I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle again and building on my long track record of delivery for my client. I say client (singular) because the other opportunity, delivering it alongside my main contract, hasn't transpired. Guess that leaves me free to dedicate that time to my plan B's. All good.

Great weekend everybody.

does this mean you'll be whingeing less and boasting more??
asking for a friend.

[herman_g]

^^^^Permie disguised as contractor right here!!! ^^^^

Throwing in the Brexit reference as well. Laughable. Is it any surprise that HMRC thinks we are all disguised employees with this kind of thinking/approach?

And two contractors who recently joined the team WFH in the UK through their uk ltds, have an SOW from the client, are outside IR35 and fully tax compliant with both Dutch and UK law. We have one member living in Belgium, one in Latvia and two working as independants from India (Dutch permanent residents) - the bank has a "work from anywhere" policy that is wide open. One team member spends months at a time in Portugal and one does the same in South Africa as well.

[agentzero]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e4lyz77jqo

Well that's encouraging, that is if they do build it. I do.feel.thag WFH, is one of main contributors to the downturn.

You think if everyone was forced into an office the use of AI (not LLM) and automation in businesses would stop and the grads and young people without a job would suddenly get work? That there would be more jobs? That's before mentioning the cost of the commute in a stagnated or even a lower wage environment as we've seen since the 2008 crash.

You are losing your mind due to being out of work for so long. Remote work is normal across Europe and North America.