Reply to: State of the Market

[WTFH]

Are contractors also part of unions? or is it the unions being against using contractors?

Contractors can request to be covered under the works council, but don't expect to be kept on long.

As for how well the works council gets on with contractors, it depends on how good you are at working with rather than against people, and whether the direct result of you being there is that people will be made redundant. It can play to your advantage greatly. if you can get the leaders on board, you'll be able to get buy in from the staff very quickly, or if you need/want to make big changes to the plan these guys will get the company to agree to it.

[WTFH]

Why? genuinely curious to hear the reasons.

As eek said, it's due to the Betriebsrat (Works Council). I was involved in a project in Munich where the IT department shut down at lunchtime on Fridays and most of them got an extra 2 weeks holiday a year to make up for them doing more than 37.5hr per week.

Absolutely fine if you're doing permie/day to day roles. Terrible if you're trying to deliver a project to a deadline.

[dsc]

No German union issues....

Ah yes, the place I'm at now is doing a re-org and those unions were a proper pain in the ass...or someone simply forgot they also have to deal with them in the process.

Are contractors also part of unions? or is it the unions being against using contractors?

[eek]

Why? genuinely curious to hear the reasons.

No German union issues....

[dsc]

[...]
1. I know the client and I know why they will only use contractors for this piece who are based outside German/EU regulations
[...]

Why? genuinely curious to hear the reasons.

[quackhandle]

Now hang on a minute, copyright issue here...

qh - will look for you and find you...

[eek]

Just been approached about an 18 month contract at a reasonable rate. I know the agent, so I know it's not a market trawl. No issue with IR35.
Client is in Germany and contract would be via Switzerland.

I've told them I'm not interested, the main reasons being:
1. I know the client and I know why they will only use contractors for this piece who are based outside German/EU regulations
2. Most of the resourcing has been driven purely by price, not ability
3. My current client is going to keep me busy.

The other guys who could do it will probably be messaging me later today for a catch up/laugh about it, given how we will all be approached about it on the same day.

In case you're thinking I should offer the role to anyone on here, the thing is it requires...

The resourcing based on price is the problem with most projects.

Going to have the same issue with the bit of work I'm interviewing for in the next 10 minutes - and if there was anything else in the market at the moment I wouldn't be looking at this piece of work because the client has already shown they are idiots.

[WTFH]

Just been approached about an 18 month contract at a reasonable rate. I know the agent, so I know it's not a market trawl. No issue with IR35.
Client is in Germany and contract would be via Switzerland.

I've told them I'm not interested, the main reasons being:
1. I know the client and I know why they will only use contractors for this piece who are based outside German/EU regulations
2. Most of the resourcing has been driven purely by price, not ability
3. My current client is going to keep me busy.

The other guys who could do it will probably be messaging me later today for a catch up/laugh about it, given how we will all be approached about it on the same day.

In case you're thinking I should offer the role to anyone on here, the thing is it requires...

... a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career.

[avonleigh]

17 months over the pandemic/ir35/brexit thing and on/off for a few months over the financial crisis. 12 months dotcom crash, but that was a result of redundancy, which led to setting up my Limited, so all good. Currently 3 years into a digital project with 12 month renewals and hoping that continues, certainly until the market lifts.

5 months out during Covid. That's been it in 27 years of contracting. Been quite fortunate. 2007 during the financial crisis I was working for a telecoms company, where I stayed for 4 years. So wasn't affected by the downturn then at all. 2003 was quite tough as well, took a terribly paid contract for 9 months to get me through that. Currently in a gig till January.

[oliverson]

I was on the bench for 18 months over the last 12 years. Unfortunately, 15 months of those were over the last four years with the Winter of 2022-23 being the worst.

17 months over the pandemic/ir35/brexit thing and on/off for a few months over the financial crisis. 12 months dotcom crash, but that was a result of redundancy, which led to setting up my Limited, so all good. Currently 3 years into a digital project with 12 month renewals and hoping that continues, certainly until the market lifts.

[squarepeg]

I was on the bench for 18 months over the last 12 years. Unfortunately, 15 months of those were over the last four years with the Winter of 2022-23 being the worst.

[SchumiStars]

1.* 12mths (COVID), 1* 12mths (ongoing) on the bench. Prior to that, had a few 3mths on the bench.

This has been the longest one to date. Learning to suffer is part of the game.

[pjt]

In the past I've been benched for 6 months plus there have posters who have sailed right through it never missing a beat/invoice.

A few months/years later it is vice-versa.

Contracting, it's a funny old game.

qh

I can testify to that! 16 years sailed through contacting with 0 days on the bench. Then start of this year nothing for 5 months not even much in the way of possible roles. If I'm honest I think a good bit of luck and being in the right place at the right time is part of the key to getting roles.

[quackhandle]

In the past I've been benched for 6 months plus there have posters who have sailed right through it never missing a beat/invoice.

A few months/years later it is vice-versa.

Contracting, it's a funny old game.

qh

[SussexSeagull]

Got extended into next year, so hoping iv'e worked through the worst of it and it picks up in 2025

That might very well be the case although who knows anymore?