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One rule for contractors another for permanent staff

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    One rule for contractors another for permanent staff

    I'm currently working on an inside IR35 job. I like the team and the work is interesting but there is one thing that rankles me.

    The permanent staff get laptops and can work from home with little or no justification. The contractors are told they can't work from home or have laptops because they are contractors.

    I live an hour and a half from the client site and my daughter has frequent health issues. I have to take an entire morning off to get her to a medical appointment and lose half a day's pay whereas the local permanent staff work from home for fairly trivial reasons like they are expecting a parcel to be delivered.

    I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I want to have my cake and eat it but it wouldn't cost the client anything to treat the contractors equally in this case and I feel like a second class citizen.

    I'm thinking of raising it with my manager and local HR advisor on behalf of the contractors but don't want to make any waves. Am I being silly?

    #2
    Originally posted by HoneyBlonde View Post
    I'm currently working on an inside IR35 job. I like the team and the work is interesting but there is one thing that rankles me.

    The permanent staff get laptops and can work from home with little or no justification. The contractors are told they can't work from home or have laptops because they are contractors.

    I live an hour and a half from the client site and my daughter has frequent health issues. I have to take an entire morning off to get her to a medical appointment and lose half a day's pay whereas the local permanent staff work from home for fairly trivial reasons like they are expecting a parcel to be delivered.

    I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I want to have my cake and eat it but it wouldn't cost the client anything to treat the contractors equally in this case and I feel like a second class citizen.

    I'm thinking of raising it with my manager and local HR advisor on behalf of the contractors but don't want to make any waves. Am I being silly?
    Same at my place.
    Contractors not allowed to WFH but permies can randomly WFH whenever they want for whatever reason they want.

    Unfortunately, As much as i would love to say you're not silly so that you can raise this and get what you deserve..
    I think that is common practice. Afterall, people argue inside IR35 (whether its umbrella or PAYE) doesn't mean you are an employee even though now you pay exact same tax amount as employee. So effectively you have no rights of an employee does. Because now with inside IR35 it basically makes us contractors as "no rights employees".

    However, having said that.... given your daugher has serious health issues and need frequent medical appointment i would've thought your client would of been given some sympathy at least or being understandable. Because to me, those are completely valid reasons to give for WFH.
    I suggest you speak nicely and ask nicely to your point of contact there and explain your situation.

    Comment


      #3
      You are costing them probably slightly more than a permi but are perceived to be on a shorter leash. It is not only about money.
      They are treating you same as a permi when it benefits them but expect more productivity out of you.
      You would most likely raise unwanted attention if you make a case out of it.
      The premium we get now after all the taxes compared to a permi role is not that much so not quite sure how are they expecting you to cover the cost of the equipment.
      Some managers like to be perceived as “they work their people hard” when actually productivity is not too different. Just appearances.
      Sometimes they treat contractors a bit different to make the permi clot feel more entitled, brings joy to their miserable existence.
      Clients like this are the reason we choose to stay contractors.
      My advice: keep your head down, invoice, learn what you can. If they are funny about those things they might get a bit more difficult as time goes.
      When market gets better find a new opportunity around, than make sure you leave the comments to make it a better place for the next ones to come.
      It is not anything major to be upset about.

      Comment


        #4
        Why not ask if you can go permanent?

        Comment


          #5
          sounds like the organsiation is full of jealous individuals.
          I've worked at one or two like that. It never lasts long as they're always looking to blame everything on the contractors.

          NEVER get a permie job there. All that will happen is you'll realise what an awful organisation it is no matter which side of the fence you work on.
          See You Next Tuesday

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks for responding.

            I have considered going permanent and put my feelers out. A good friend who has now left and formerly worked as a team leader advised that I should set my salary expectations low because there is a rigorous justification system for anything higher than the entry point. Being a contractor making the transition doesn't score any points.

            That said, sometimes we have to make sacrifices and it's always been about the freedom rather than the money for me.

            I agree that there are flaws in the culture and they probably stem from higher up. Like I said, the team and local managers are great but their hands are tied. I think they are sympathetic. Cultural change sometimes starts from the bottom up like a butterfly effect. I shall take a delicate approach for now.

            Comment


              #7
              For an outside IR35 job those conditions would great. For an inside job, it feels like someone has a stick up their arse.

              I would mention it, and ask for some leeway. Expect no as the answer.

              I would be so tempted, if I didn't care about them subsequently cancelling my contract, to ask why they decided my role was that of an employee but I am not afforded even basic employee facilities.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by HoneyBlonde View Post
                I'm currently working on an inside IR35 job. I like the team and the work is interesting but there is one thing that rankles me.

                The permanent staff get laptops and can work from home with little or no justification. The contractors are told they can't work from home or have laptops because they are contractors.

                I live an hour and a half from the client site and my daughter has frequent health issues. I have to take an entire morning off to get her to a medical appointment and lose half a day's pay whereas the local permanent staff work from home for fairly trivial reasons like they are expecting a parcel to be delivered.

                I'm sure someone will come along and tell me I want to have my cake and eat it but it wouldn't cost the client anything to treat the contractors equally in this case and I feel like a second class citizen.

                I'm thinking of raising it with my manager and local HR advisor on behalf of the contractors but don't want to make any waves. Am I being silly?
                Yes, imho, unfortunately you are. You're a contractor, and you knew the travel before you accepted the role.

                Sounds like a big credit card company I once worked at. Everyone was on Messenger so could see who was technically 'working.' But you'd ping a message to a permie who was logged on as WFH and never got a reply. They'd be off shopping or taking the kids to school!

                They wouldnt let contractors WFH because unfortunately, some of them had really taken the piss when they had allowed it.

                I personally know one contractor who worked for the same client, had the same travel as me and had blagged his permie oppo's lappie while she was on maternity leave. He turned WFH 1 day a week around to be coming into the office 1 day a week and still did very little work.

                It was actually the other contractors who were annoyed at his piss take that made the client take the lappie off him and not renew.

                At the same client, I knew a good contractor guy walked off site for saying he was WFH when unauthorised.
                I couldn't give two fornicators! Yes, really!

                Comment


                  #9
                  Inneresting...
                  "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
                  - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by HoneyBlonde View Post
                    I'm currently working on an inside IR35 job.
                    Originally posted by HoneyBlonde View Post
                    I'm thinking of raising it with my manager

                    Comment

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