First week of perm job and offered a contract...

[Hot Mess]

FWIW

If i were you and the perm role was a dream job that would enable you to re-enter the contract market and make more dosh, then take it

Otherwise, it has to be the contract.

You know you'll hate the perm job after about say 5mins... It's just going to suck isn't it

[psychocandy]

You can get canned in a couple of weeks in a permie role too .... I got canned after 5 months of a 6 month probabtion in my last one when the project I was on stalled. Hadd all the risk of contracting without the benefits, and so I decided to contract from then on.

Agree with Jammie here. No better off in permie IMHO.

Been redundant 4 times in last 10 years (OK, so I volunteered for last one). Companies get rid when it suits then these days regardless of permie or contract so why not just get paid more for the same insecurity?

[kaiser78]

Contract is much more than i'm used to but is in reading (4 hours drive).
Work from home 2 days a week after an initial 3 weeks on site
Perm job is a great salary and is only 55 mins from home.

Contract was offered based on a recommendation and a short chat on the phone

Struggling to decide what to do...any thoughts would be appreciated.

Hard to judge without more info on the above, so go with your gut feel even at the level of do you want to be contract vs perm, let alone the specifics - only you know what is right for you.

[Support Monkey]

You can get canned in a couple of weeks in a permie role too .... I got canned after 5 months of a 6 month probabtion in my last one when the project I was on stalled. Hadd all the risk of contracting without the benefits, and so I decided to contract from then on.

Tis also true however its less likely, you were unlucky but generally permie hires jump through a lot of hoops (several interviews, references, writen tests) to get the right person, contractors (phone interview, start monday) by the very nature of the job are dispensible from day one

[JamJarST]

Tis true, you could get canned in a couple of weeks, anything could happen to the project, yes the Money is nice but this contracting whilst atractive is not always about the money, its a complete change of mentality, i would say it would be a leap into the unknown if you value family life and stability stick with the permie

You can get canned in a couple of weeks in a permie role too .... I got canned after 5 months of a 6 month probabtion in my last one when the project I was on stalled. Hadd all the risk of contracting without the benefits, and so I decided to contract from then on.

[Support Monkey]

That assumes that the two days from home actually materialize. If they don't, then you are significantly worse off.

Assuming you take the contract, what happens at the end of it? If the next contract is more than 55 minutes away, and has no working from home (hardly an unrealistic assumption), then from the end of this role, you'll be worse off in terms of family time.

Assume that your next contract is going to be away from home, so no family time during the week. Would you look to take longer holidays to make up for that? It's what I do - there isn't a decent enough permie role near home, so I'll deal with the weekly tears when I leave, knowing that I'll take plenty of holiday to make up for it. This year, I'll have had the chance to work an additional 50 days, but took time off to spend with the family.

Tis true, you could get canned in a couple of weeks, anything could happen to the project, yes the Money is nice but this contracting whilst atractive is not always about the money, its a complete change of mentality, i would say it would be a leap into the unknown if you value family life and stability stick with the permie

[JamJarST]

she's okay with it...says she is anyway. I think the chance of a great summer holiday based on the money might sway her.
i'm a family man really but the two days a week from home means i'd actually spend more time with them than a close perm job.

Thanks for the comments NLUK succinct and understated as always.....
I take your points though

The 2 days WFH would make it very attractive to me, I live down South but contract in Scotland. I get 1 day (1/2 day actually WFH) and the long weekend every weekend is great. Having said that I am single and have my kids every other weekend so being away is easy.

[TheFaQQer]

she's okay with it...says she is anyway. I think the chance of a great summer holiday based on the money might sway her.
i'm a family man really but the two days a week from home means i'd actually spend more time with them than a close perm job.

That assumes that the two days from home actually materialize. If they don't, then you are significantly worse off.

Assuming you take the contract, what happens at the end of it? If the next contract is more than 55 minutes away, and has no working from home (hardly an unrealistic assumption), then from the end of this role, you'll be worse off in terms of family time.

Assume that your next contract is going to be away from home, so no family time during the week. Would you look to take longer holidays to make up for that? It's what I do - there isn't a decent enough permie role near home, so I'll deal with the weekly tears when I leave, knowing that I'll take plenty of holiday to make up for it. This year, I'll have had the chance to work an additional 50 days, but took time off to spend with the family.

[VirtualMonkey]

she's okay with it...says she is anyway. I think the chance of a great summer holiday based on the money might sway her.
i'm a family man really but the two days a week from home means i'd actually spend more time with them than a close perm job.

Thanks for the comments NLUK succinct and understated as always.....
I take your points though

[cojak]

What would your missus say?

[northernladuk]

Asking a board full of strangers to make a decision on your life and but give them next to no information to work with. Proper good idea that is.

We can't even begin to compare the two for you as they are utterly different and you take each on of them for completely different reasons, reasons which you have omitted to tell us.

Pointless question that will just confuse you even further with random answers from us.

Stay perm, sounds like it would suit you better.

[tractor]

What to do

Contract is much more than i'm used to but is in reading (4 hours drive).
Work from home 2 days a week after an initial 3 weeks on site
Perm job is a great salary and is only 55 mins from home.

Contract was offered based on a recommendation and a short chat on the phone

Struggling to decide what to do...any thoughts would be appreciated.

Stay in the perm job.

Exercise your substitution clause and send me - it's a 0 hr drive for me to Reading

[VirtualMonkey]

Contract is much more than i'm used to but is in reading (4 hours drive).
Work from home 2 days a week after an initial 3 weeks on site
Perm job is a great salary and is only 55 mins from home.

Contract was offered based on a recommendation and a short chat on the phone

Struggling to decide what to do...any thoughts would be appreciated.