The Seven Worst Types Of Employers For Contractors
By Gerry McLaughlin
1. Those that make it clear from the start that there is a
caste system, with the management at the top, the permanent
employees next, with the contractors being the 'untouchables'.
2. Those that say "I could never work just for money the way
you guys do". Most companies and managers forget that
contractors need to be motivated too. They don't work for money
on a day-to-day basis. They take the job for money, just like
the permanent employees. Managers are usually the biggest
demotivators of contractors, especially when they say things
like, "You shouldn't need to be motivated when you earn the
money you do".
3. Those that keep a beady eye on the people that work for
them, to make sure that everyone is working every minute of
every day. It increases the stress on workers who already have
deadlines. Everyone needs to have a mental break every so often
to be fully effective, so why should they have to hide this from
their dumb employer?
4. Those that ban contractors from any benefits, e.g. using the
workout facilities, the staff cafeteria, or attending the
Christmas Party. If they allow them to go to the Christmas
Party, they charge them the full price, making it clear that
they resent the money that they are paying the contractors, when
in fact they are paying no more or no less than market rates.
5. The serial sackers--those that get a buzz from firing a
contractor every so often to prove their toughness. It has to be
for a reasonably minor offense such as reading a newspaper five
minutes after lunchtime ends, and it must be done on the spot to
encourage the others. The contractor is escorted off the site in
order for the serial sacker to obtain full satisfaction, so that
he doesn't need to do again it for a while.
6. Those that complain loudly about contractors leaving at five
o'clock. He or she is, of course, unwilling to pay any overtime.
Everybody wants something for nothing. You never meet any who
let you leave early regularly when there is not enough work to
do, and who still pay you your full rate for it. If they don't
think it is worth paying for your time, they can't consider it
that important, and you shouldn't either.
7. Those that tell you that your rate, as with that of the
other contractors, will be cut by 10 percent from Monday,
otherwise you will be out of a job. You could just imagine what
would happen in boom times if contractors said that they would
be, en masse, leaving their crucial project on Monday unless
their rates were increased by 10 percent all around. You could
imagine the weeping and gnashing of teeth if that happened. Even
worse are the employers who have a second bite of the cherry and
cut rates again by 10 percent just a few months after they
previously cut them.
About the Author: Gerry McLaughlin has fulfilled every role in
Software Development from Trainee Programmer through Systems and
usiness Analysis, Project Leader and Manager, Systems Manager
and Chief Information Officer with a department of 80 people.
Tens of thousands of IT Contractors visit
http://www.ITContractor.com each month to keep themselves in
touch with the market.
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=67896&ca=Career
