Re:The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce
by danans on Tuesday January 23, 2018 @05:20PM
(#16218367)
> Am I in the minority here for being a contract developer who is happy to be in this place?
> * My wife works full time so she has our back for health insurance
Being an independent contractor or a self employed business owner is fine for someone who has an entrepreneurial bent coupled with unique skills that are in high demand. Such people can likely charge rates that more than compensate for the lack of employer benefits as a contractor.
However, the contractors described in the article don't appear to have that combination of advantages. Presumably they also don't have spouses who can carry them on their health insurance plans. In a previous era, their jobs might have previously carried benefits, but many of these jobs have been reclassified as "variable workforce" positions, as companies restructure their employment to minimize the carried costs and risk of fulltime employees.
Being an independent contractor or a self employed business owner is fine for someone who has an entrepreneurial bent coupled with unique skills that are in high demand. Such people can likely charge rates that more than compensate for the lack of employer benefits as a contractor.
However, the contractors described in the article don't appear to have that combination of advantages. Presumably they also don't have spouses who can carry them on their health insurance plans. In a previous era, their jobs might have previously carried benefits, but many of these jobs have been reclassified as "variable workforce" positions, as companies restructure their employment to minimize the carried costs and risk of fulltime employees.