Reply to: Bench Time

[TykeMerc]

Contracting 20+ years, no involuntary bench time in the first 6 or so years, probably averaged 3 months a year benched since then roughly 50/50.

I don't tend to look for a new role before the previous one finishes so I can take a bit of time off as most of my roles are intensive 9-18 month stints.

[CloudWalker]

[Bod]

Contracting for 9 years.

Contract lengths between 6 months and 3 years, mostly under 18 months

Bench time between 10 mins (once) and 5 months (twice), usually 2 or 3 months

Bench time is character building, it's when you find out what you're made of

[anonymouse]

The last 5 months hasn't been waiting for a 'phone call to offer me a contract. When the last one finished, I had a new 12 month gig lined up, which got cancelled. I've had 5 further interviews, with 3 offers that all got binned for one reason or another, one interviewer never even bothered to call. The latest one is due to start in a couple of weeks, but I'll believe when I see it & payments starts.

[NickNick]

So...
Contracting since 2005, no bench time.
Contracts are of between 3 months and 1 year. Most being 3 to 6 months in length.

[SteelyDan]

Yes there is always that risk unfortunately but HMRC have asked for facts and figures so that's what we're giving them - I think their perception is that either contractors don't really care about the proposals that they're making or that they'll have a negligible impact (there were only 3 responses from contractors to the last consultation!). I don't think that either perception is correct and I am doing what I can to prove it

Sorry, didn't mean to be negative on your much appreciated efforts.

Not sure if it should be included here, but it's part & parcel of contracting & the wider picture.

What about highlighting situations where we are currently in contract, but that contract is coming to an end imminently; we get calls from agents to ask if we're interested/available, then we potentially lose out because we're not actually available when the potential client wants (as it always asap & the client won't wait), and then we end up on the bench purely for reasons of bad timing. We are then waiting for the next 'bus' to arrive, which in some cases could be weeks, or months, as indicated by the responses here?

[pr1]

i have a mate that plays for a championship football team and he gets 5 grand a week sitting on the bench... /offtopic

[northernladuk]

Is the multiple client thing something else we want to highlight. Not everyone manages it but a fair few of us do.

You can still count gaps between gigs even if you had a second client running at the time

Yeah but I meant networking, keeping contacts, delivering well, keeping abreast of new techs so and so forth. You could argue a successful contracting career can be measured against lack of enforced bench time , not being walked and other things that we are highlighting as defense. Maybe I'm wrong about this.

[DaveB]

I've been going a couple of years and done back to back gigs and even some dual running so probably not going to give you the info you want to be throwing at them.

That's the funny thing about this though. If you are bloody good at what you do your defence completely evaporates.. If that makes sense.

Is the multiple client thing something else we want to highlight. Not everyone manages it but a fair few of us do.

You can still count gaps between gigs even if you had a second client running at the time

[northernladuk]

I've been going a couple of years and done back to back gigs and even some dual running so probably not going to give you the info you want to be throwing at them.

That's the funny thing about this though. If you are bloody good at what you do your defence completely evaporates.. If that makes sense.

[Danglekt]

I've been going a couple of years and done back to back gigs and even some dual running so probably not going to give you the info you want to be throwing at them.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Given that contractors were not impacted by the discussion document its hardly surprising that contractors did not reply...

PSC contractors weren't no but umbrella contractors were

[eek]

Yes there is always that risk unfortunately but HMRC have asked for facts and figures so that's what we're giving them - I think their perception is that either contractors don't really care about the proposals that they're making or that they'll have a negligible impact (there were only 3 responses from contractors to the last consultation!). I don't think that either perception is correct and I am doing what I can to prove it

Given that contractors were not impacted by the discussion document its hardly surprising that contractors did not reply...

[RSoles]

Crikey, doesn't time fly.......

13 months contract August 2014 – Present
1 month holiday
11 months contract August 2013 - June 2014
3 months contract May 2013-July 2013
16 months contract Jan 2012 – Apr 2013
10 months contract Sept 2010 – June 2011
10 months contract Oct 2009 – Aug 2010
4 months bench
12 months contract June 2008 – May 2009
5 months bench
16 months contract Oct 2006 – Jan 2008
3 months contract Jul 2006 – Sep 2006
12 months contract Aug 2005 – Jul 2006
4 months contract Apr 2005 – Jul 2005
9 months contract Jun 2004 – Mar 2005
8 months contract November 2003 – June 2004
18 months contract May 2002 – Oct 2003
1 months bench
2 months contract February 2002 – March 2002
5 months contract September 2001 – January 2002

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Don't mind contributing to this in principle, but isn't there a risk that HMRC will look at your figures and suggest that none of what you have submitted is factual or accurate, but just some made up stats courtesy of an enraged contractor forum who are willing to bend the truth?

Yes there is always that risk unfortunately but HMRC have asked for facts and figures so that's what we're giving them - I think their perception is that either contractors don't really care about the proposals that they're making or that they'll have a negligible impact (there were only 3 responses from contractors to the last consultation!). I don't think that either perception is correct and I am doing what I can to prove it