Why do people accept permie jobs?

[wendigo100]

You had me fooled up to there

The other stuff does add up though.

[Churchill]

Decent Salary
Chance to make my mark.
Bonus(up to 30%)
Shares
Challenging job.
Stimulating environment.
Now I want a career!

[Francko]

What about contributary pension, redundancy parachute, "paid" holidays and sickness, maternity.

Plus the love that you develop for the company - can't put a price on that!

- contributary pension: 4% for me -nothing

- redundancy parachute: would be nice but does not happen in the good times

- paid holidays/sickness: well well, there is insurance for that and for holidays you just take off the number of days you want to take

- maternity: well, indeed paternity - 1 week paid does not really constitute a major benefit

[To BI or not to BI?]

Only if you are the right person for it. Personally, I have always wanted to go contacting and the few years of permanentdom where just a necessary evil to build my skills and become competitive. It helped that, working for IT consultancies, I was leaving the life of a contractor anyway (moving from client to client, using different technologies, etc.), but not reaping the benefits (much higher financial return, benig exempt from office politics, etc.).

I am very happy as a contractor, I have just set up my sparkly new Ltd and the standard answer to whoever calls me and asks me if I would consider permanent positions is to get lost (but I tell them in a nice way, because I am a decent person after all)

[Denny]

According to Gordo we're all potential permies for the duration of our contracts. The only time we're seen as beiong in business on our own account is between contracts or when the end-client wants to terminate.

[bobhope]

What about contributary pension, redundancy parachute, "paid" holidays and sickness, maternity.

Plus the love that you develop for the company - can't put a price on that!

The problem with all those supposed benefits are that they are tailored either to the company or to a group of people that most likely won't include you. When I purchase the equivalent benefit as a contractor, I always get a better package for much less money. You always have to remember that the benefits are structured and negotiated by HR.


Pension: Permie companies always choose some lame provider (when I was a permie, mine chose Equitable Life haha) whose charges and poor performance mitigate most of the contributions a permie company would make anyway.

Medical / Dental insurance: The BIK I used to pay as a permie is about the same as a regular policy.

Paid for holidays: You would budget for this as a contractor usually. One interesting thing about holidays is that as a permie, there is an incentive on the company to avoid you taking them, as if you don't, they effectively get 'free' work.
As a contractor, the pressure is kind of in reverse. By taking holiday, you are saving the client money as they don't need to pay for the time you are away.
I found as a permie I never once got near to using all my annual allowance.

Career/progression: Pahh!

Accident/sickness insurance: costs 30-40 quid a month and covers until 55. Who knows what kind of lame coverage a permie company would give you.

Training: To be fair, in the 4 years of permiedoom I did get 3 days training. On something useless that I would never have paid for.


I think permiedoom is for those that can't be bothered to do the above themselves.

[kramer]

She still loves you...

sounds like it doesn't it....

[wendigo100]

- contributary pension: 4% for me -nothing

- redundancy parachute: would be nice but does not happen in the good times

- paid holidays/sickness: well well, there is insurance for that and for holidays you just take off the number of days you want to take

- maternity: well, indeed paternity - 1 week paid does not really constitute a major benefit

Insurance for sickness is too expensive if you want it to kick in for every flu or gutrot you wake up with. Ten days of short-term illness a year like that is worth a 4% increase on your contractor rate.

Holidays still have to be paid for - five weeks is equivalent to about a 10% increase on rate.

Your pension doesn't sound great, but I've been a contractor so long I don't know what the contributary market is now. My missus gets more than 4%, although that's in the public sector where money grows on trees.

I'm not advocating permiedom, just saying that all the bens, including those that others have mentioned, can add up and make it worthwhile.

[Denny]

Insurance for sickness is too expensive if you want it to kick in for every flu or gutrot you wake up with. Ten days of short-term illness a year like that is worth a 4% increase on your contractor rate.

Holidays still have to be paid for - five weeks is equivalent to about a 10% increase on rate.

Your pension doesn't sound great, but I've been a contractor so long I don't know what the contributary market is now. My missus gets more than 4%, although that's in the public sector where money grows on trees.

I'm not advocating permiedom, just saying that all the bens, including those that others have mentioned, can add up and make it worthwhile.

I agree. I don't think there is much difference between contractor fee and a good salary plus benefits with their added security of continuity of income. I don't see that permiedom is worse than being a contractor, if that's how you wish to earn your living.

Contracting is about lifestyle choices not about higher earnings. Contractors are more likely to be time rich than money rich if they manage their commercial relationships properly with end-clients and allow themselves enough time off in the year to enjoy their profits.

[Lucy]

I wanted some stability in my life while I divorced the wife.

Also, guess what the sick bitch did today! She sent me an Xmas card that I sent to her years ago!

FFS!

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.