My New manager’s comment to me

[crazystar]

My new boss commented “don’t talk about being a contractor as it can be quite de-motivating” to junior staff on temporary contracts

how would you take this ? I’m quite proud of my contractor status - it’s taken years to become an expert on my field and be valued as a standalone professional. So this felt jarring.

I had drafted an email to say I was upset but then pressed delete - we’ve a one to one tomorrow , is it worth raising? Or head down as I’ve not long to go here.

"My new boss commented “don’t talk about being a contractor as it can be quite de-motivating” to junior staff on temporary contracts"

Did the boss say this because you have already been talking about being a contractor? Or was it a warning not to mention it and you haven't actually said anything?

I can understand it being annoying if you're going round bragging i'm a contractor I'm a contractor and I'm OK. However I also think that management quite often like to keep an air of secrecy around things so that other people don't start pushing for the same sort of rights or question any inequalities.

I’m an expert in my field. People know this by my behaviour rather than because I announce it. No one cares about your contract status and the only reason to tell people is to make the point you earn more than them.

Keep your beak firmly shut...many employees (including senior managers) don't understand the difference between self-employed fees/contractual rates and PAYE salary rates, and thus feel aggrieved that people from outside their organisation seemingly earn so much more than them.

This is their perception, it isn't reality (and many of us consultants/contractors are on lower income than our clients' permanent staff), and even when you list the things your day rate has to cover, and the things it doesn't, they still think you're taking advantage...you're not going to resolve it, so best to keep your head down and get on with the work...

BTW, I've been a self-employed specialist for 20+ years and I know how annoying it is!

I work as a contractor / consultant / will do most things as long as I'm paid*

*Joking. Kinda.

I don't see it as a badge of honour. I see it as I'm unable to work within the constraints of a regular job. I don't think anyone else is impressed either.

I worked at one company on a rolling 3 month contract on a permanent staff member's rate. Some colleagues were horrible to me because they thought I was on a contractor's rate.

Younger colleagues don't always have awareness that you have been hired for what you know.

If they are your new manager then you say nothing. I imagine it has been said because, as you said, you are proud of your status and you may have been perceived as feeling superior to the junior staff (which is how you comes across in your OP, whether you intend to or not).

As people have said, surely as a contractor, an ability not to get people’s backs up is quite important, even if you are an expert.

Take it on board and perhaps be a little more thoughtful about your interactions I’m future. As you aren’t a long term staff member and are leaving soon, the manager wouldn’t have bothered to mention it unless it had been brought to their attention.

Duh! Use your noggin, read the room, keep your head down, bite your tongue and toe the line, etc.

I've worked as a contract software engineer and alongside others when I was a full time employee. There are definitely times when essentially the contractor is relying on help and training from existing, often experienced staff who work full time in the business and who know the work or the industry better than an outsider parachuted in (often because the company can't justify a permanent addition to the payroll but can (incredulously) find money from other budgets that they can justify because it's "only a temporary need" to overcome a shortage of staff, excess work, skill shortage - maybe someone left - who knows - various reasons - so it does wind full time or even part time permanent or temporary staff up who will be well aware that you are being "overpaid (in their eyes) for what you do - even if you think it's justified because you fill a void, meet a need e.g. if they have a specific skills shortage - it's sometimes a sign that they haven't and/or don't manage the resources (i.e. staff) well and aim to keep people trained up - the can find money for a contractor but not to pay their existing staff a bit more. Seriously, you don't have to be a genius to work this out.

If anything show appreciation for the help you get from others and speak well of those you work with.

Absolutely!

If OP is an expert surely they are aware of how not to piss people off

Never in my working career have I come across a contractor having a 1-2-1 with a "manager".

Assuming op is a true contractor (i.e. provider of services) obvs.

I've had loads and I'd expect it. It's just a meeting to talk about how things are going. They're usually not long and they might be every day, once a week or or fortnight, or once a month.

Yes, I've never had a 1-2-1 as a contractor. I've often nominally had a manager, but they just approved the invoices.

A lot of what people mention here, about staff being salty because contractors are paid more sounds like places having contractors that are really disguised employees rather than a true contractor

A contractor can be a full-time staff member who works in a team, though - we have project managers who are on contracts, supplied through a management consultancy, and they have managers and 121s. I've also worked in an organisation where a lot of colleagues were contractors supplied through a civil engineering firm to deliver infrastructure projects, and they had the same jobs and titles as employed staff and reported to managers in exactly the same way. It's really not that uncommon.

A lot of what people mention here, about staff being salty because contractors are paid more sounds like places having contractors that are really disguised employees rather than a true contractor

There is a big differece between a PAYE contract and a contract through a limited or umbrella company.

One might be something like £30k p.a. pro rata and the other £300 a day.

A permanent employee might think you are on a high daily rate and make jibes about the huge amount you earn when really you are on a fairly low rates with no perks.

While the people themselves are often lovely and permanent staff have good relationships with contractors whilst they're there where I work, there's definitely a degree of irritation around them too as 1.) Permanent staff think the contractors are paid significantly more than them (with no confirmation this is true as everyone is too polite to ask what they actually get paid!) and 2.) the contractors don't seem to produce any groundbreaking work that the permanent staff couldn't have done themselves, so people don't really get why they've been brought in and get frustrated with their seniors that they weren't given the opportunity to do the work.

I can imagine if you're a temp it's even worse as you have none of the additional security a permanent member of staff has AND you're not getting paid the contractor salary!

So yeah, I can see why your boss would advise you not to flash your contractor status about.

He's saying you are paid more than the staff and he'd rather they didn't know. It's sort of a compliment, up to you if you want to tell everyone, but it may well upset some of the staff and make working there more difficult.

i only talk about it to talk about in relation to other relevant experience and suggestions for improvements and it’s always taken well

im not paid anymore as a contractor for the same role as someone perm

I am a mat cover so PAYE and less security than most here

Head firmly down. Not remotely worth getting worked up over.

Discretion lol ? I’m a known hire for someone else whilst she’s on mat leave and happily so , I love mat covers

There is quite a difference for someone who is choosing to do temp contracts as a senior subject matter expert because you enjoy the variety and adding value, versus junior members of staff who would probably like the certainty and security of a perm role but haven’t been able to get one.

And hence I assume the purpose of his comment is that it doesn’t help morale to keep drawing attention, directly or indirectly, to their temporary status.

If you are PAYE, you are a fixed-term employee. You have been employed on an interim basis to cover maternity leave. You would not be deemed a ‘contractor’ in my sector

Why did your new boss feel the need to say that to you? Had you been talking about it? Or was it just a warning not to talk about it if the subject arose? ETA, the thread moved faster than I did, have now seen your update.

How I took it would depend on those things. If I’d been talking about it, I’d be asking myself whether she had a point. Rightly or wrongly, contractors are perceived to be paid a lot more for doing not a lot more than standard employees, so I can see how it would be demotivating. If you hadn’t said anything to anyone then I’d take it as a request.

I think being upset by it is a bit of an overreaction. What do you want from them? An apology? Do you not want to work for them again?

so they know on x date they won’t be dealing with me and someone else ? Courtesy ?

I think YABU. Why do you need to announce your position rather than concentrate on settling in, learning about your surroundings and develop good working relationships? I think you’ll be making yourself look a bit pompous in your first week and certainly won’t endear yourself to anyone.

Nobody needs to know your employment status to understand that, though?