I am currently IT contracting and whilst I went into contracting on the basis that it would provide more flexibility I have come to the conclusion the reality is very different and the clients I have provided IT services for expect you to be on site and pretty much expect you to follow the same rules as perms when it comes to holiday and sick. Even leaving early on a Friday seems to get raised eye brows.
As I have got older I have become slightly too long in the tooth for having to justify why I am not going to be available and want to hear from those who feel the same or those that were contracting and managed to contract in a different way so as to avoid this.
I have a cycle pal who is an agency truck driver and he seems to be able to take as much time off as he likes and picks and chooses when he wants to work.
The standard current answer is to wave the IR35 regs in their face - although this of course can backfire if/when they accept that they shouldn't be exercising traditional line management rules and regs on you.
Or find better clients.
Or move into a more consultancy role where you really can dictate your own hours.
Personally, a decent grown up client that behaves properly is worth a fair chunk of a potential rise in day rate (above a certain point obvs).
Even leaving early on a Friday seems to get raised eye brows.
Leave early? What's that?
Leave early? What’s that?
The office closes at 17:00 but you finish your shift at a time before that and go home.
I like to leave a good 2+ hours early on POETS day.
The office closes?
Sounds like the OP isn't really contracting as such just doing agency roles, which are same shit different payment department.
For flexibility what you really want is a proper zero hours contract where you can exercise your right not to work, problem then is so can they.
To do that well you need to be in demand and not easily replaced by the 10 other suitable people willing to be less flexible for a semi stable income.
From looking at at some temp/contract hiring places if you are more No than Yes to work your name will drop down the list so you will be less likely to be called.
The other way to manage it is to set an income goal for the year, work to that and take a block of time off, or set that out when you take on the role that you want X, Y & Z and why it will still be worth hiring you for that position.
Thankfully yes 🙂.
In regards to the OP, I have a few friends who are taxi drivers, whilst not glamorous they can set their own availability and have a pretty good work life balance because of it.
The standard current answer is to wave the IR35 regs in their face – although this of course can backfire if/when they accept that they shouldn’t be exercising traditional line management rules and regs on you.
Or find better clients.
Or move into a more consultancy role where you really can dictate your own hours.
Personally, a decent grown up client that behaves properly is worth a fair chunk of a potential rise in day rate (above a certain point obvs).
I have raised this with the client when a recent email went out to all staff (perms & contractors) stating if you are not going to be in please inform your lead ... I did mention to the client that made me feel uneasy from an IR35 perspective in relation to managed, directed and controlled.
When you mention more of a consultancy role how do you find these as all of the contracts I have had to date are java development roles which is the usual scrum based setup with daily stand ups. Again, that to me is an IR35 alarm bell.
Oh and on the what jobs, pick something with a good shortage so Nursing, Dr or Vet are probably 3 of the best for picking and choosing, easy 5-10 years to get up to speed there 😉
I have raised this with the client when a recent email went out to all staff (perms & contractors) stating if you are not going to be in please inform your lead … I did mention to the client that made me feel uneasy from an IR35 perspective in relation to managed, directed and controlled.
That is just working, you need to tell somebody if you are not there regardless of who you are.
When you mention more of a consultancy role how do you find these as all of the contracts I have had to date are java development roles which is the usual scrum based setup with daily stand ups. Again, that to me is an IR35 alarm bell.
That is also part of delivering the task, you can do that on a temp basis but you need to move on after a point really. How would you complete the role without doing that.
For consulting you are going to provide something for them such as advice, direction of strategy or to take a compete work package and deliver that back to them - (from my experience working in consulting - as a sole trader you are just doing this on your own)
IT contractor here too. I've rarely had problems with flexible working with clients - I never agree to any minimum hours, and only work on daily rates (not hourly or part day). Most clients are happy for me to take 'holiday' whenever, as it saves them money. I just communicate that I am 'not available' on the days that I need off, without further explanation. I would normally give about a weeks notice of any odd days I needed, with a longer range for extended dates. The odd emergency comes up where I have to inform a client I'm not available that day, which would come with my sincere apologies for the lack of notice. I work mainly in small-medium sized orgs, ymmv in big corporations that like to set sweeping rules for everyone - I'm fortunate enough to be able to pick and choose.
I've worked pretty much 100% remotely for the last year, and this has come with greater flexibility. I keep the client informed about what I'm up to but there is far less expectation for me to complete a standard 9-5 day. This allows me to start earlier in the morning, take 90 mins/2h for lunch most days for a trip to the gym, and eat with the children most days around 5pm. I finish up whatever tasks I've been on in the early evening. I'd highly recommend remote work, it's been brilliant.
How about becoming an agency truck driver. Some bloke on a forum mentioned that he has a mate who does this and seems to be able to take as much time off as he likes and picks and chooses when he wants to work.
When you mention more of a consultancy role how do you find these as all of the contracts I have had to date are java development roles which is the usual scrum based setup with daily stand ups. Again, that to me is an IR35 alarm bell.
Not sure, but you would probably need to specialise either up (TA) or out (Maybe some sort of CI / docker / containerisation / Amazon WS etc) and then tout your services on a shorter (but hopefully higher paid) basis. More difficult if you can only see yourself as a backend or front end Java dev.
I never really understood IR35 because the people worried about it were blatantly the ones it was designed to filter out. IT or engineering contractors sat alongside staff doing exactly the same jobs on projects, just without the corporate side of the job like appraisals, having to sit through corporate meetings etc.
I'm currently working in TV production, today will be a 15+ hour day (just like every working day for the next 3 months will be) but of that probably only two to three hours is actually spent within arms reach of a camera, and only 30-40min doing something technical. 7:30AM till about 6:30 most days I can just read a book, go for a run (as long as I'm contactable and not too far from the hotel/car).
So my current job is propper outside of IR35 work, but ironically I'm doing it PAYE. Not an interesting story, I'm employed by the company on a normal employment contract at a low wage which means I have to turn up to the office 9-5 every day, but then get first refusal of any work that would normally mean bringing in another engineer and get the difference in pay so on the upside I get to use all the company tools and kit, and get specific training on it (whereas another engineer on a similar rate would probably have to know this kit and everything else on the market) on the downside I lose in tax.
It does sound like you are a basically an employee so will be restricted, just like a real one. If you want the freedom then you need to take more of risk. I can set my own hours and what work to do or not do but it also means there are plenty of times when I don't know where the next payment is coming from. With a decent bit of savings its worked out OK so far but there have been quiet times (about ten years like this)
Not my job, but I always thought app writing would be a good flexible job if you have the skills and creativity. Not writing the next fruit ninja but just the odd little useful app or game. If you have a few in your portfolio that people actually want and keep on top of updates I reckon you could make a nice little income either from ads or sales. You can work when ever you like and wherever you like and its very scale-able; extra sales doesn't mean extra work or cost
I am starting to come to the conclusion that most development related contracts, eg 'Business As Usual' stuff is not setup for actual consultancy style working. I agree with mikewsmith that the type of work I am actually after is one where you provide expertise for a particular aspect of a project and then move on. Development doesn't really fit that bill as the alternative to an organisation doing it in house with perm and contractors is to out source the project.
The truck driver avenue is starting to sound appealing as it will mean I don't have to do the bloody daily SCRUM stand up 🙂
How about becoming an assassin? You get to wear cool black clothes, travel lots , pick and chose your jobs, well paid and interesting.
it will mean I don’t have to do the bloody daily SCRUM stand up
How about becoming the Scrum master then?
I never really understood IR35 because the people worried about it were blatantly the ones it was designed to filter out.
The governments proposed test would have significantly changed the market if they had lasted
https://www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/ir35_business_entity_tests_questions.aspx
The truck driver avenue is starting to sound appealing as it will mean I don’t have to do the bloody daily SCRUM stand up
Sounds like it's the job you don't like not the conditions 😉
The governments proposed test would have significantly changed the market if they had lasted
https://www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/ir35_business_entity_tests_questions.aspx
/blockquote>Yes. I think the current situation is a mess and I worry that the buck will stop with the contractor rather than with the organisations that are using contractors.
I have always said that a much clearer approach would have been to use a 6 or 12 month rule with a no return clause within 6 months to determine contract status would have made it much simpler.
How about becoming an assassin? You get to wear cool black clothes, travel lots , pick and chose your jobs, well paid and interesting.
He's hardly going to make a killing doing that though.
I'm a perm employee and have more freedom than you it sounds.
I can work from home when I like (within reason, couldn't work 100% from home).
I am trusted to do my hours, no one is watching my clock
We do flexi hours, I choose when I start/finish
If I want to leave early any day of the week I can simply get up and leave. If its drastically early in the day I just inform my manager. (not ask, inform)
How about becoming an assassin? You get to wear cool black clothes, travel lots , pick and chose your jobs, well paid and interesting.
they don't all wear black
Flexibility is more about the person than the job.
I've always found electricians are very good at telling you they're off to play golf in reply to you telling them that they are behind with the job and it would really help if all the machinery they've just wired up wasn't running backwards. 🙂
You could always do what I do and become a ****less waste of space artist. I had two holidays in 2005 and this year I went to Keswick for a day.
