While I am aware that experiences vary, the overwhelming majority of the "employees are better" posts seem to be just a tad, well, biased. I became a contractor specifically because I had no voice in my company. I wasn't paid enough to participate in the stock purchase plan, yet I was expected to work ridiculous amounts of overtime for free. Conditions like these are, in my experience, typical, yet hardly foster the "company loyalty" that I keep reading about on this topic. Benefits? Don't make me laugh. The HR departments at my last 3 "real" places of employment managed to find new and innovative ways to prevent my delivery of insurance and the like, without missing a single payroll deduction. My final full-time job even managed to fail to pay me on several occasions. I actually had to involve government authorities at one point. Job security? I've only been laid off once; it wasn't at one of my contract positions. Put simply, I do a good job, and have stayed on at jobs while full-timers were laid off or fired. Contracting has been good to me. While others in this forum revealed their ethical deificiencies ('my only loyalty was to the 3-month duration of the contract, and quality be damned' and the like), I relished the opportunity to work as much (or as little) as necessary to ensure that the job is done properly, knowing that I am being paid for every minute of it. Managment actually listens to my suggestions, and I have been able to effect real change, even contracting to my former place of employment. I've never been worried about finding a new opportunity when I finish, as I have always been offered permanent positions with my clients. Repeat business, however, has kept me contracting for the time being. As for taxes, I really haven't had a problem. It has never ceased to amaze me that, while I was on salary, the payroll people invariably failed to take out enough money. I pay my own taxes now, and have never had a liability. Actually, more stuff is deductible now . Benefits are *better.* I haven't been able to find a company that can match my insurance plans. I don't get matching retirement $, true, but that's why I make the extra bucks--for an IRA. As I mentioned before, experiences vary. While it sounds like, in this particular case, employees are warranted (building what will become the core of the business), I am more than a little surprised at the invective directed against contractors. But then, given the obstacles that employees frequently place in my path (many are, in fact, the reason for my being hired by the client companies), I guess I shouldn't be.
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While I am aware that experiences vary, the overwhelming majority of the "employees are better" posts seem to be just a tad, well, biased. I became a contractor specifically because I had no voice in my company. I wasn't paid enough to participate in the stock purchase plan, yet I was expected to work ridiculous amounts of overtime for free. Conditions like these are, in my experience, typical, yet hardly foster the "company loyalty" that I keep reading about on this topic. Benefits? Don't make me laugh. The HR departments at my last 3 "real" places of employment managed to find new and innovative ways to prevent my delivery of insurance and the like, without missing a single payroll deduction. My final full-time job even managed to fail to pay me on several occasions. I actually had to involve government authorities at one point. Job security? I've only been laid off once; it wasn't at one of my contract positions. Put simply, I do a good job, and have stayed on at jobs while full-timers were laid off or fired. Contracting has been good to me. While others in this forum revealed their ethical deificiencies ('my only loyalty was to the 3-month duration of the contract, and quality be damned' and the like), I relished the opportunity to work as much (or as little) as necessary to ensure that the job is done properly, knowing that I am being paid for every minute of it. Managment actually listens to my suggestions, and I have been able to effect real change, even contracting to my former place of employment. I've never been worried about finding a new opportunity when I finish, as I have always been offered permanent positions with my clients. Repeat business, however, has kept me contracting for the time being. As for taxes, I really haven't had a problem. It has never ceased to amaze me that, while I was on salary, the payroll people invariably failed to take out enough money. I pay my own taxes now, and have never had a liability. Actually, more stuff is deductible now . Benefits are *better.* I haven't been able to find a company that can match my insurance plans. I don't get matching retirement $, true, but that's why I make the extra bucks--for an IRA. As I mentioned before, experiences vary. While it sounds like, in this particular case, employees are warranted (building what will become the core of the business), I am more than a little surprised at the invective directed against contractors. But then, given the obstacles that employees frequently place in my path (many are, in fact, the reason for my being hired by the client companies), I guess I shouldn't be.