Been in same contract too long? Client asks you to leave

[AnthonyQuinn]

Have any of you ever come across this situation.

Client is still hiring contractors but asking all contractors who have completed 5 years to leave. Most of these culled contractors had outlasted the previous culls purely on merit.

We are told that we cannot reapply at the client for another 6 months. In the meatime client continues to hire contractors to replace us and spends our time to help transition. Some of these are contactors who had been culled earlier.

Bizarre??

[Scrag Meister]

Yep,

My current client has a 3 year policy on contractor stays then you either leave or go perm.

I'm just approaching that limit now and although i have been offered a policy breaking additional 6 months have decided to move anyway.

The client I am going to has a 2 year contractor policy, so its not unusual.

[northernladuk]

I wonder how many of these 5 year contractors have forgotton who they are and what they are and need to re-think their 2 year rule and IR35 positions.

5 years does seem a long time and doesn't seem unreasonable to have a cull if not just to refresh the skill base and attitudes and also to force managers in to not hiring a contractor for 5 years. To be honest if I found any permie staff hiring a contractor for 5 years it would be him AND the contractor looking for more work IMO.. That is just poor.

I think the 5 year guys have done well and ought to just leave and consider themselves incredibly lucky.. unfortunately I bet every penny I have most of them will moan like stink and kick up a fuss believing they should have more rights

[d000hg]

5 years? You're a permie! Claim some holiday.

[northernladuk]

5 years? You're a permie! Claim some holiday.

And give the tax man some of his cash back lol

[SuperZ]

5 years is extreme, most companies would do well to have a 2 year limit, even if it's just for the sake of the permies (althiought there are more reasons than that). The average permanent IT job lasts something like 2 years I think, so ideally companies should really be considering using contractors for less time than that....or hire permies.

I wouldn't want to stay in the same contract for 5 years to be honest. 2 years is my maximum and I've never exceeded that yet.

[lukemg]

There are certain roles where this length of contract can be justified e.g. non-core roles, that are on the list to be outsourced or are dead-end, offices that will be closed but this is delayed, roles that it is essential they don't register as heacount, Super-guru roles you can't live without. BUT these are few and far between. Most roles lasting this length should probably be made perm. Then again - why do we care it keeps people in contract. Been cullled on 11-month and 51-week rules before, but been hired as replacement for these too, so at least it recycles a few contracts back into the market.
Seemed to be more of these long-term gigs around in the old days (I had one too) but not so much now.

[northernladuk]

5 years is extreme, most companies would do well to have a 2 year limit, even if it's just for the sake of the permies (althiought there are more reasons than that). The average permanent IT job lasts something like 2 years I think, so ideally companies should really be considering using contractors for less time than that....or hire permies.

I wouldn't want to stay in the same contract for 5 years to be honest. 2 years is my maximum and I've never exceeded that yet.

I was under the impression the only time related issue is around expenses and the 2 year rule. This 51 week rule and you are permie and so on is purely client imposed and has no legal or financial reason whatsoever? It is either a policy or HR not understand contracting properly.

[Bright Spark]

This is pretty common with large clients I've come across most have 46-52 Week rules
and some do have 2 or 5yr rules, main thing is to build a circle of clients and keep rotating
around them every 2-3yrs, getting repeat business from clients works very well for cv and
changing regularly makes you learn new things and develop new contacts.

[MaryPoppins]

I was under the impression the only time related issue is around expenses and the 2 year rule. This 51 week rule and you are permie and so on is purely client imposed and has no legal or financial reason whatsoever? It is either a policy or HR not understand contracting properly.

Yup. A lot of places have a rule around how long contractors can stay, mistakenly believing there will be financial consequences for them should contractors stay longer than this.

5 years is a bit OTT though. I'd be glad of a change.