(This is a little commentary I wrote almost 3 years ago now … comments appreciated!)
Contract Vs. Full-Time
You full-timers on this list all deserve a smack in the head.
All I hear is bitch, bitch, bitch.
“You contractors make too muchmoney. It’s not fair.”
“You took an extra hour for lunch? Are you going to bill for that?!?”
“We can’t afford to keep you around for more than 6 months – it would cost the company a FORTUNE for any longer!”
“You can’t bill an extra 2 hours a day because we want you to carry a pager!”
“Wow, you got another year long renewal?!? You’re bleeding the company dry!”
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Sure, consultants generally make a lotta cash. Some are just plain idiots and only ask for paltry sums of money (an entirely different commentary!), and others feel they only need what would translate as the gross wage of a full-timer (read my lips – BENEFITS COUNT), and still others falsely believe that working for a company as a ‘Contract Full-Time’ employee is what it means to be a consultant … but the smart ones do quite well.
And YES we’ve got write-off’s. These include: car expenses, half of all restaurant receipts, all stationary supplies, most telephone charges, computers, office equipment, software, books/magazines, wedding receptions (!), work-related training, medical/dental expenses, and pretty much anything else that you require to get yourself that next all-important contract.
Best of all, we have absolutely nothing deducted from our paychecks – it’s up to us to send a cheque to the government once a year or so.