Reply to: Should I go permie

[TheRightStuff]

Fair enough. I'm only saying it because I finished a contract a month ago and was feeling the same!

3 weeks of bench and I'm back on the pitch though.

It's good that you don't want to miss those first months though. I gave up contracting and went permie for a while when my littlun was born as I was working in deepest Germany at the time. Dropped to 1/3 of my contractor net, never regretted it. Mind you, local contracts were much thinner on the ground at the time.

Z

just had a look at jobserve to see how many local jobs are being advertised. Not many to be honest. The only thing that could move me back to permie would be to work for this bank but also try and get a work from home day.
I really fancy doing this on a wednesday. Breaks the week up and I can see my daughter as well.

[Zorba]

Fair enough. I'm only saying it because I finished a contract a month ago and was feeling the same!

3 weeks of bench and I'm back on the pitch though.

It's good that you don't want to miss those first months though. I gave up contracting and went permie for a while when my littlun was born as I was working in deepest Germany at the time. Dropped to 1/3 of my contractor net, never regretted it. Mind you, local contracts were much thinner on the ground at the time.

Z

[TheRightStuff]

TheRightStuff -

In response to your original post (and I've realised your thoughts have probably moved to a conclusion by now) I'd say that you were experiencing the end-of-contract jitters. If you've been there for over 3 years, you might be worrying a bit about the next gig, different office environment, nightmare commuting etc etc.

This is normal.

The solution to this is:

1) Get onto the usual job sources.
2) Find a suitable contract.
3) Charge like a wounded rhino.

That will remind you why you're a contractor. I personally am reminded every day why I left permiedom - offshoring, politics and pathetic bonuses. I also get the jitters at the end of any contract, especially the longer ones. That's all they are though: jitters!

(So, I'm just guessing here, I don't know you of course, but that's my 2p).

Z

Thanks for the Advice. Just to let you know I don't have any jitters at all. If it's meant to be it's meant to be. Like I said before I would be happy to have a a month or 2 off and see my daughter grow. She will start walking in about 5-6 months so it could be perfect timing when this contract expires.

[Zorba]

TheRightStuff -

In response to your original post (and I've realised your thoughts have probably moved to a conclusion by now) I'd say that you were experiencing the end-of-contract jitters. If you've been there for over 3 years, you might be worrying a bit about the next gig, different office environment, nightmare commuting etc etc.

This is normal.

The solution to this is:

1) Get onto the usual job sources.
2) Find a suitable contract.
3) Charge like a wounded rhino.

That will remind you why you're a contractor. I personally am reminded every day why I left permiedom - offshoring, politics and pathetic bonuses. I also get the jitters at the end of any contract, especially the longer ones. That's all they are though: jitters!

(So, I'm just guessing here, I don't know you of course, but that's my 2p).

Z

[TheRightStuff]

11K isn't "nothing" to me - you've got a right chip on your shoulder!

But it's not enough for me to be self employed for. Its not enough of an incentive to not know where my next gig is coming from. Or if I'm poorly, not get paid. Or have all the stress of worrying about being investigated. Or feeling guilty about takign holidays. or having to pay for my own training. And missing out on works do's and having an actual life at home!!

If you've got all those worries then maybe you should go permie. I don't have any worries at all. All I can say is relax. Seems like we've exhausted this discussion. I've made my decision and all your advice has been helpful. Cheers.

[SallyAnne]

ONLY 11K more p/a net. To me that is alot of money. Reality check needed here. I must be on minimum wage for a contractor then if that is nothing for you.

11K isn't "nothing" to me - you've got a right chip on your shoulder!

But it's not enough for me to be self employed for. Its not enough of an incentive to not know where my next gig is coming from. Or if I'm poorly, not get paid. Or have all the stress of worrying about being investigated. Or feeling guilty about takign holidays. or having to pay for my own training. And missing out on works do's and having an actual life at home!!

[Francko]

what they actually do is give you a basic and then you can either take the 15% and do what you want with it (taxed as salary).Alternatively you can invest it in their company scheme. However, even taking that into account there's still an 11K net difference. For some of my friends who are not in IT that is there yearly net wages.

Yes, but you need to add a risk factor to that. You have no guarantee you can count on this difference forever. I have to agree with the geordie bnp lass, it doesn't seem to me to be too much of a difference in the long term.

Also, I don't think that the better rate you get necessarily means a tougher working environment or longer hours, to my experience that is not necessarily related. Perhaps your agency is already charging 5-600 a day and milked a good 30-40% throughout the years, that's why they had no problem with raising your rate.

[TheRightStuff]

15% pension is quite good though. Would they really pay the whole 15%?

what they actually do is give you a basic and then you can either take the 15% and do what you want with it (taxed as salary).Alternatively you can invest it in their company scheme. However, even taking that into account there's still an 11K net difference. For some of my friends who are not in IT that is there yearly net wages.

[Francko]

ONLY 11K more p/a net. To me that is alot of money. Reality check needed here. I must be on minimum wage for a contractor then if that is nothing for you.

15% pension is quite good though. Would they really pay the whole 15%?

[TheRightStuff]

I wasn't insulting anyone's pay.

I did look at the calculations, and the way I read it was that a contracting job at £350 a day only worked out at £11k more than a permie position.

So like I said, I wouldn't go contracting for that.

Perhaps you should read my post more clearly before jumping down my throat!

ONLY 11K more p/a net. To me that is alot of money. Reality check needed here. I must be on minimum wage for a contractor then if that is nothing for you.

[ChimpMaster]

Agreed, I would only continue contracting if it earned at least 1.5 times as much as the same work in a permanent role. Usually it works out closer to 2x.

Hence an £11k difference makes the permie role sound much more attractive.

[Diestl]

Soon there won't be a financial advantage in contracting. I didn't mean 0.5 years I meant 1 or 2 years.

Hmm how about the hourly rate is normally 2-3x as much for doing the same job?

[rootsnall]

Current house is also big enough now but not a good idea at my age not to be geared up. Mortgage is cheap money so I should use it.

I think I know where you are coming from but with house prices at historically very high levels ( highest ever against average earnings !? ) gearing up may not be a sure fire winner. Any house price slump would almost certainly coincide with a contracting slump, the IT job market though a lot smaller was awful in the early 90s.

[SallyAnne]

No need to insult someone's pay that's not what were here for.
Before saying this please look at the calculations on the previous page. If you are happy with an 11K net difference p/a from contracting to permie then maybe you should go permie. I'm just assuming you haven't read it.

350 p/d I believe is a good rate for me. We have a 4 bedroom detached house in south London with no mortgage and my wife has stopped working to look after our baby daughter. We are happier then ever. Yes I know get the bucket out.

I leave the office around 5.30 - 6, get in at 9 and no weekends. This gives me a bit more time then others to see my daughter. I've been told by my agent me get easily get me £400-£450 p/d but I would have to work my nuts off. Seeing my daughter everyday is worth alot more then £100 p/d.

£350 p/d might not be enough for you as your expenses might be alot more then mine. However, the wife does want to move to a bigger house. Even so the mortgage will only be 1.5K p/m and for that we will get a 5 bed detached over looking country side with a games room at the back of the 155ft garden. Life is so bad at the moment.

I wasn't insulting anyone's pay.

I did look at the calculations, and the way I read it was that a contracting job at £350 a day only worked out at £11k more than a permie position.

So like I said, I wouldn't go contracting for that.

Perhaps you should read my post more clearly before jumping down my throat!

[TheRightStuff]

Why do you say that?

Soon there won't be a financial advantage in contracting. I didn't mean 0.5 years I meant 1 or 2 years.