Help Me Decide - Inside, Outside vs Perm (again)

[Antman]

Also don't waste your time staying away from home working when you've got young children. You know that they don't stay young for long.

[northernladuk]

Either don't give a reason or tell the truth. If you tell the truth, then you don't have to remember as much.

And if you do tell the truth, keep it short and simple.

This. It's business. The current situation doesn't suit you so you are using the terms you all agreed in the contract. Thanks bye.

You don't need a reason. The ability to leave is in the contract so just use it.

[WTFH]

What reason would you give to existing client for leaving? Be honest i.e.: Inside vs Outside, or make something up about working with an old contact or similar?

Either don't give a reason or tell the truth. If you tell the truth, then you don't have to remember as much.

And if you do tell the truth, keep it short and simple.

[fiisch]

Thank you - that's helped clarify. Think I got a bit soppy and wedded to current client last night - in the cold light of day, the outside gig seems preferable, but only if I can negotiate reduced travel aspect. I have 2 young children so more time at home has been a massive bonus for me in the last 18 months - have managed to see far more of my youngest growing up than my eldest, and certainly 4-5 days a week back in the city like in the bad old days makes me feel queasy.

What reason would you give to existing client for leaving? Be honest i.e.: Inside vs Outside, or make something up about working with an old contact or similar?

[northernladuk]

Maybe the OP would like to know the dffieremce in take home between 85k perm and 550 outside so that he can decide whether a little more travel makes it worthwhile.

i would also like to see a refresher of the numbers as usual but I s be inclined to say that the outside is better by a factor

If you are top of your game and they have the confidence they can get another outside after this gig and so on then yes you'd think so. WTFH did post this information though, albeit a bit finger in the wind but don't really need detailed numbers to know the outside gig is way better than 85k

[NowPermOutsideUK]

Maybe the OP would like to know the dffieremce in take home between 85k perm and 550 outside so that he can decide whether a little more travel makes it worthwhile.

i would also like to see a refresher of the numbers as usual but I s be inclined to say that the outside is better by a factor

[northernladuk]

Personally, I'd want the one with the least amount of travel and the most amount of time at home, as I currently value time more than money.

Totally this for me. Back in the day I would have been all for the outside gig but that's changed and I'm happy redressing the balance. If that perm role was at a couple of my old clients and in Manchester I'd have a seriously good think about it. So it's not paid as much and in the worst case doesn't turn out to be what I wanted in six months then I leave, it's not the end of the world taking a perm gig but if it had the chance to give me the perfect work life balance I'd give it a shot.

Have to say, if the outside gig meant three days commuting to London, staying away and all that it would strangely be the bottom of my list nowadays, but that's purely a personal view.

[Sub]

If you can secure outside gig, being inside you do that and quit your current one as soon as you can. If being mercenary means to stay within contract terms, including your notice period - then yes, contractors are mercenaries. In a business world your client's interests only exists in a context of your own interests.

We probably all been in situation when we think about getting perm and I tend to believe that in such moments we over-estimating sunshine brightness on the permiland. There still will be things you will be doing without willing to do them, but you will be getting less money and more "control and direction". But I am convinced that overall there are more permies dreaming about contracting, than contractors doing same about permanent jobs.

[WTFH]

Before "Now works in Switzerland" replies to tell you that £85k perm is the equivalent of £200 per day, the questions I would ask are about lifestyle and desires.
As a contractor you have to be mercenary, but you should also weigh up the personal cost.
No point in spending all your energy chasing £££ now if you then find it all gets taxed/taken away or you're not able to enjoy it later.
Or make the sacrifices now, save hard, and enjoy it later.

Personally, I'd want the one with the least amount of travel and the most amount of time at home, as I currently value time more than money.

[fiisch]

Yes, another thread with someone pondering the relative merits of each, but looking for some collective CUK wisdom to help me decide a tricky situation.

Current - Inside IR35; £550p/d; longish term project with a repeat client who I like working for, however this time the project has been slow. Other resource (permies) have left for internal moves, and currently undergoing dreaded review which will no doubt change the ultimate deliverables. Current deal up to end of the year (recent 3 month extension). Fully remote, potentially once/twice weekly travel fairly local in near future.

Possible 1 - Perm; £85k. Good benefits package & pension, remote with the odd day in the office. Great company, good career progression, and working same role but in a new area.

Possible 2 - Contract, Outside IR35 (via consultancy). £550p/d; 6 months but upto end of next year. More travel than the other 2, potentially 3 days a week in the city, good exposure with a client that is a hot topic in the industry I work in.

I've been contracting for coming up to 5 years and been very lucky in some respects (no voids), but unlucky in other aspects (couple of dreadful contracts where I was essentially a bum on a seat), and it has definitely given me a fairly severe case of "imposter syndrome". I'm still young enough for career progression to be a factor, and frankly I hate meeting new people, even via a Webex, so head is telling me the perm job is the one.

However, I've also recently seen some big increases to my outgoings (school fees), so pay is certainly a factor. However, I like the client I'm currently working for, and don't like the idea of leaving mid-project, but the differences between inside/outside are bigger than I previously envisaged (e.g.: silly things, like not being able to get tax-free childcare).

What's the latest formula for working out approx. take-home on an outside gig? Assuming a spouse to perform some super-critical admin (but works part-time so has used up their tax-free allowance), would day rate *48 *0.70 be a reasonable stab? (Not what I would necessarily take, but what I could take net of corp tax, divi tax etc.).

Anyone been in a similar dilemma? Is it a bit mercenary to leave a relatively secure inside gig for an outside gig simply for a better take-home rate? WWYD?