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Do you work flat out?

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    Do you work flat out?

    I have only been contracting for over 8 months now so please bare with me. Before when I was a perm, I would not feel guilty not being too busy and being able to put my feet up from time to time. However to be honest it did not happen very often. Now that I am a contractor, I do my work and sometimes can "take it easy" if you know what I mean. The difference is that I feel so guilty, whereas before when I was a perm I didn't. Is there anything wrong with me or is this a natural feeling during the transition from permidom?

    S

    #2
    Originally posted by Segush View Post
    I have only been contracting for over 8 months now so please bare with me. Before when I was a perm, I would not feel guilty not being too busy and being able to put my feet up from time to time. However to be honest it did not happen very often. Now that I am a contractor, I do my work and sometimes can "take it easy" if you know what I mean. The difference is that I feel so guilty, whereas before when I was a perm I didn't. Is there anything wrong with me or is this a natural feeling during the transition from permidom?

    S
    I only have one speed and that is flat out.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Segush View Post
      I have only been contracting for over 8 months now so please bare with me. Before when I was a perm, I would not feel guilty not being too busy and being able to put my feet up from time to time. However to be honest it did not happen very often. Now that I am a contractor, I do my work and sometimes can "take it easy" if you know what I mean. The difference is that I feel so guilty, whereas before when I was a perm I didn't. Is there anything wrong with me or is this a natural feeling during the transition from permidom?

      S
      I feel that I work a lot harder as a contractor, after all I am charging 2.5x my permie wage. The idea for me was always that being a contractor would give me a good work life balance as earning so much I didnt need to be working all the time. I thought I would do 6 months, have a few months off, do another 6 etc.

      However, this has not happened and the last 3 years I have worked constantly which means I am now utterly sick of it, hate going in, and am exhausted and seem to get a lot of bugs, sniffles, tummy troubles. The bank balance is very healthy though, and am seriously considering not working at all next year. It will also enable me to draw down my retained dividends without paying any extra tax, which is a nice two fingers at the state.

      My current client will not want me to stop, and probably wont understand that I have grown to hate every moment there. So am struggling to find a diplomatic way out.

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        #4
        I tend to adapt to the workload.

        Comment


          #5
          Depending on your role there will be quiet spells as a contractor, maybe while youre waiting for another part of the project to catch up, delays in specifying requirements, fixing IT problems etc.

          Console youreself that the quiet spell will surely be balanced by some mega hectic days just around the corner.

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            #6
            Originally posted by escapeUK View Post
            I feel that I work a lot harder as a contractor, after all I am charging 2.5x my permie wage
            For me the transition has been the other way around, I was exploited in my previous company as a perm, did long hours for 5 years thinking I was going to achieve this and that and it got me nowhere. Now on contract I just feel guilty when I am not that busy...

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              #7
              Strangely enough when I was a permie I was always working flat out and doing overtime and working another job every other weekend. Since becoming a contractor I don't work half as hard though the work I do is I would say of a better quality.

              I tend to not feel guilty about quiet periods.
              In Scooter we trust

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Segush View Post
                For me the transition has been the other way around, I was exploited in my previous company as a perm, did long hours for 5 years thinking I was going to achieve this and that and it got me nowhere. Now on contract I just feel guilty when I am not that busy...
                Ah when I was a permie I tossed it off all day, worked on my own projects and I had everything pretty much running itself automatically. The joys of being an IT Manager who knew how to program. Was in a lovely modern air conditioned private office too. Was rather boring at times though.

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                  #9
                  Depends on the gig.

                  Last one - yes.
                  This one - don't think I've done a full days work per week yet.

                  So long as the timesheet goes through WGAS

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by The Spartan View Post
                    Strangely enough when I was a permie I was always working flat out and doing overtime and working another job every other weekend. Since becoming a contractor I don't work half as hard though the work I do is I would say of a better quality.

                    I tend to not feel guilty about quiet periods.
                    Same here, but still feeling guilty. My work now is of better quality than before as a perm, when I did not have the time to do a good job.

                    Comment

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