August 15, 2010 at 10:07 am
This may not be an appropriate forum for this post, but I need some suggestions. Here goes...
My last full time employer filed for bankruptcy so I decided to take the contract route in regards to my employment. I was offered a 3 month contract position through a recruting firm which required me to relocate with no relocation assistance offered. Also, the employer could not make a commitment regarding the possiblitiy of the project going longer than 3 months, or a full time offer. I accepted it and have relocated. Over the past two weeks I was approached by a recruiter regarding long term project which would allow me to telecommute with a required one week per month on site in TN. This position is a 1099 position.
I feel guiilty for about wanting to leave the initial position before completing the agreed upon three months, This will put the recruiting firm in a bad position and damage my being able to work the recruiter again. I have read the contract it is states that either party can terminate the contract. It ask that I give 10 days notice, however, it states that the client can term the agreement with no notice.
I know what the right decision is for me...however, I can help but feel bad for wanting to leave as I mentioned above.
Has anyone ever been a similar position? You comments or HONEST suggestions will be appreciated.
Regards
August 15, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Ultimately, you have to look out for yourself. That's your financial, and moral, health. What the contract says is not always the thing you should do.
I'd go to the recruiter (short term) and explain the issue. Ask them to go to the client with you (or for you) and talk about whether things might be extended. If they can't, and you think a move is a better choice, give them 10 days, move on. That's the nature of the beast.
December 9, 2011 at 8:57 am
I agree with the above comment and do what is best for you and your family.
That being said there are two ways to look at leaving a contract. First from their side, if their budget dried up or the project ended they would cut you in a heartbeat and not think twice about it. That is exactly the reason they hired a contractor and not a FTE. To put it bluntly, they are not just paying for the work that you do, they are paying you to leave when it is done.
Now from your side, if you like the company and you want to keep working there as a contractor or a FTE then stay. If after three months, this not what you were looking for then move on to the next thing and don’t give it another thought. There is another factor that you need to consider, if you are on a project and your leaving damages the entire project, then you should stay until it is appropriate to roll off. On the other hand, if you are just filling a spot for the company, as in Staff Augmentation, give the appropriate notice and offer to help find and train your replacement.
There are times when you come across a great opportunity for more money that you just have to take. People may not like that you left, but it is hard to argue about the money. Sports Players do it all the time. They leave the city they grew up in and that loved them for better more lucrative contracts. People respect them when they say it was about the money. People do not respect them when they give lame excuses because it was still about the money.
I would suggest if you continue to contract in 1099 positions that you consider incorporating. Then you can take full advantage of everything functioning as your own company can bring.
December 9, 2011 at 9:19 am
I agree with Mr Jones. You have a contract there, they don't care much about you and your family, will let you go anytime they wish and before that happens they might wring you out of any juice left. FTE provides better stability for you, it's better for you.
December 9, 2011 at 9:22 am
I am not sure if it’s applicable in US but in India, if you opt for Contractor it’s very difficult to switch back to Full Time Employment. That’s the reason professionals here avoid to go for contract jobs.
The advantage with Contractor job is, ‘You are King’. You may negotiate on many conditions like work from home, weekly reporting etc. Perks are always better in Contractor job because you risk your continuity in the organization.
Disadvantages you already know. Employer can terminate the contract without notice.
Being all said I would recommend you to prefer Full Time Employment.
Now I have question if somebody can help :blush:. I am on regular employment but nothing encourages me than $$$$$. Thus I incline to Contract Jobs. I had freelancing experience and I enjoyed it a lot (My Life My own Schedule. I was doing freelancing for my pocket money). I don’t have that confidence now. The major risk for me is to keep getting continuous job offers on Contracts. Is there anyway I can mitigate this risk? I would highly appreciate your inputs.
December 9, 2011 at 9:30 am
FTE does not always translate into more stability. The last three years has taught us that.
Furthermore, just because you have a contract does not mean that they do not care about you.
Whether you are a contractor or a FTE there is only one question to ask, “Is the current situation is mutually beneficial?”
December 9, 2011 at 10:13 am
michael.french 172 (12/9/2011)
FTE does not always translate into more stability. The last three years has taught us that.Furthermore, just because you have a contract does not mean that they do not care about you.
Whether you are a contractor or a FTE there is only one question to ask, “Is the current situation is mutually beneficial?”
I'm not sure that that is the only question, beneficial is one thing, I've worked at places I hated, but it was work.. And unless the entire company is in trouble I'd rather be an FTE than a contractor, look at Wells Fargo, last december they basically dropped ALL of their contractors in one day to save money. I knew some people cut and it was a shock to both them and the internal staff who in some cases had lost over 50% of their co-workers..
The terms of the contract you stated are very common, they can drop you with no notice and boom you are done, and yet they want 10 days from you.. I wasn't a fan of doing contract work, to much instability, and often too many politics. I know of cases where staff could literally get away with nearly anything but a contractor would be dropped in a 1/2 second for something FAAAAAAAAR less..
I think the bigger question for you to answer is whether this change would be overall a better situation, which translates into money, benefits, staff, and supervisor. I'd rarely jump ship for just more money unless it was a BIG difference like 10-20K. Benefits are important to me, but they basically come down to good coverage for me and my kids at a rational price.. Am I going to fit in with the existing staff? Does my supervisor have a management style that I can work or live with? All coming down to really, "am I going to like working here and with these people?" If I can't say yes then pass.. As a final thought I might bring up hardware provided, I have had some interviews where we talked about how they outfit a DBA and in a couple they didn't provide a laptop And/Or external access. So basically you want me on call 24/7/365 and if there is a problem I have to physically come in to fix it.. Uh no, pass! Basically no laptop and external access = not coming to work for you..
You mentioned telecommuting, I have to say I loved doing that, but if you haven't done it in the past, I'll caution you it has its own difficulties. You have to make yourself work sometimes and I always felt that I needed to respond to emails quickly with at least an "I'm looking at it" when I couldn't give an answer right then. Basically making sure that it was visible that I was working even though they couldn't see me. And missing deadlines is bad, because it raises then question "what exactly where you doing instead of getting project X done?". And hey, throw in a 2am email to your supervisor sometime about something you are working on.. Great way to convey that you are working your butt off for them..
Here in the states I don't think that once you go contractor it is difficult to get back to an FTE, it wasn't for me and not for the people I know. Some enjoy the contract work, I found the instability unacceptable.
December 9, 2011 at 11:20 am
You do bring up a good point about contractors being let go to save money. I would contend that if you were a contractor in the banking industry during the past three years and did not think that you could be let go at a moment’s notice, then you were not paying attention to the news. In fact I would rather have been a contractor at a company like Lehman Brothers than a FTE. When they locked the doors, it was on the FTE too. A sudden job loss can happen to all of us regardless of FTE or Contractor.
Whether you are a Consultant or a FTE, you need to have a certain mindset. An individual can run into problems when they are a consultant but think like they are a FTE, for example you want paid vacation, subsidized benefits, and someone paying your taxes for you.
Likewise you will run into problems if you are an FTE and think like a consultant, such as I should get paid for overtime or I should have been put on this project or be working with that technology and not the contractor.
It is part of a mindset. For me right now, it would be hard for me to switch back to FTE from Contracting. I have a measure of control that I do not want to give up. Instead of wondering if my contract will end, I know that it will. I have a date that I can plan for. When it gets close to that date, I can have an easy conversation with my client and ask them if they will continue to need my services. I can plan accordingly. Could you imagine the reaction from your boss if you asked what date the company was planning to have layoffs?
As part of the consulting mindset, I am always looking for a job whether I need one or not. If my contract ends tomorrow, I have three places to call that I have already been talking to. I have past clients I have worked for that I can call to see if they need me again.
This topic is definitely an easy one to debate at length as there is no right answer except one, “What is best for you?”
December 9, 2011 at 11:31 am
michael.french 172 (12/9/2011)
This topic is definitely an easy one to debate at length as there is no right answer except one, “What is best for you?”
So true.
CEWII
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