BCS mis-understands contracting (again)

[super]

This isn't helpful. British Computer Society referring to:
- contractors having "jobs" with the clients
- contractors wanting "job security"
- contractors getting "pay" not consultancy fees
- contractors as "temporary workers", i.e. "temps"

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IT contractors 'confident' about job security

22/01/2008

Freelance IT professionals are not worried about the new year and the current economic situation according to a new study.

Contractor services provider Giant Group revealed that more and more and more IT workers are accepting higher-paid hourly pay jobs than working more secure, longer-term jobs with contracts.

The research showed that 54 per cent of IT freelancers preferred higher pay than a longer contract, a figure that is up from 49 per cent from last year.

What's more, the poll suggested that 2008 will be the second highest-paying year for IT contractors since it began five years ago.

Matthew Brown, managing director of Giant, said that there may even be more buoyancy for contractors because of the economic uncertainty.

"There is often an upswing in demand for temporary workers during challenging economic conditions as organizations put off hiring permanent staff.

"So, if there is a short downturn," he explained, "and the market picks up again in 2009, contractors could actually do reasonably well."

Giant's figures who that there were fewer IT contractors spending three months without work compared to last year and that overall unemployment in the sector was down to 4.4 per cent at the end of 2007 compared to 4.7 per cent at the close of 2006.
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[BrowneIssue]

But isn't that the correct terminology for those people working under Giant's umbrella? Because that's who the article is talking about. The BCS is merely publishing Giant's press release for them.

[Denny]

But isn't that the correct terminology for those people working under Giant's umbrella? Because that's who the article is talking about. The BCS is merely publishing Giant's press release for them.

That may be so, but the fact remains is that a 'contractor' is not a person or an EB employed temp, it's a business whether that business is a one man band or big company and, therefore, the terminologies should reflect that. Otherwise, why do Giant act as a limited co payroll substitute that deducts the employers NI from the fees from contractors they service, instead of a fully paid up employer of temp services contracted as payroll supplier to the EBs that engage them?

Go outside to your nearest building construction project site, and you might well see a sign on the fencing that says: contractor Laing O Rourke or whatever. It doesn't say Mr or Ms Crane.