How do I say this to employer?

[melfleur]

Hi all.

Going through a divorce. Husband left so I'm solely and fully responsible for young DC.

At the moment, I'm a contractor so only get paid for allocated hours.

I'd like to ask my line manager to hopefully change my contract into salaried because of the reason above and I've also really enjoyed the job thus far - just over a year. Myself and colleague have been nominated to receive an award by a national sector body for the massive difference we've made on a particular project. This may add some weight or so I'm hoping.

Could someone please help me word a 'convincing' email to my line manager. I've also asked last year and was informed that she'd have a chat with her superior and get back to me. As colleagues note/complain, communication isn't her strongest point so I've not heard back.

I'm desperate for job security now!

This has happened multiple times during my 20+ years as a senior HR professional. My husband, a contractor of almost as long, has had this conversation multiple times as well (he’s chosen to remain as a contractor as it suits him but several clients have asked him to join on perm contracts to retain his skills and make it so he can’t say no at will to their work).

Perhaps it’s different on your planet. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Perhaps it’s different on your planet. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And as I have said on mutiple occasions now, in my experience as a senior manager over 40 years it rarely happens in the fields I have worked in. Which all happen to be on planet Earth thanks. We can all "guess" what the employer in this particular case might say - but none of us know. I am sure you will recognise that from an HR point of view there can be substantial benefits (which I have ennumerated) why an employer might prefer not to have someone on the books? I am sure that as an HR professional you will also agree that employers employ people for their own benefit, not for the benefit of the prospective employee? And that therefore my advice that the OP needs to frame their case around the benefit to the employer is actually the way to approach this, and to do so they need to understand and be able to counter the disbenefits is correct?

“absolutely no benefit”

”nuance”

😂

@Neriah in guessing you’re retired or close to and not exactly in tune with contracting these days, esp since IR35

You should stop guessing. Try dealing with facts. Something you aren't entirely in tune with.

Don't focus on what you need. Focus on how changing to an employee can help the company.

Quite 😀

Thank you for the suggestions.😊

well that’s my answer. Yep!

Even if they make you permanent they can still make you redundant if the market goes pairshaped etc. so you might do better taking the higher income and building savings to cushion you while you look for something else.

That's a fair point. However, as it stands 50% of any savings would go to my husband and he's dragging his feet with sorting finances.

I know this is slightly off topic, but if that is a concern I'd get advice as to whether this is a good time to change. You won't have job security for two years anyway, so it isn't as though you'll get anything much out of it. Just make sure that there's no unexpected benefit to him.

Presumably if there was she'd be an employee already.....

I’ve contracted for 23 years on and off and been offered permanent employment doing the same work multiple times as well. As have many of my freelance colleagues.

Please, mumsnetters!!!

the OP has asked for wording for an email (which one poster has kindly helped with), and 90% of the responses are just overstepping, massively. Why is she divorced, why does she want to go permanent, what about the kids, what about the finances, what’s her favourite pot noodle flavour.

back off, the lot of you. It’s none of your business. She’s asked for help on a very specific thing, not for your input into every bit of her life.

None of your business. She’s an intelligent adult who can make her own choices and was not asking for your input on her career choices.

This! Thank you 🙏

Good luck OP!

You have nothing to lose by asking ….but bear in my mind if they were keen to do so they would have come back to you when you broached it previously…
Nowadays there isn’t a lot of job security

I would ask for a chat first. Explain you love the job and we're wondering if there were any options to join as a permanent member of staff.

Informal email to ask for chat I mean

What benefits can you suggest?

But she'll have a regular income with paid holidays, sick pay, maternity pay, paid compassionate leave, pension contributions, life insurance.....

OP, it'll largely depend on how your manager's budget is allocated. Permanent employees' costs could fall under a different budget from contractors' budget.

You can but ask.

• AdvantagesHiring a very talented employee permanently means that you keep their skills and expertise in your team for a long time, which is very beneficial to business
• Permanent employees allow you to build a stable, loyal and more efficient team
• There is much more job security in a permanent position, which is very appealing to a lot of people
• Permanent employees tend to be more invested in the growth of your company and your business values, so are more likely to go above and beyond when completing their tasks
• A permanent employee has more potential for career development and growth from within your company, and can take the time to develop specific skills that are useful to your line of work
• The impact on a business of giving employees permanent contracts is that there is more loyalty to a business from these employees
• If you suddenly need someone to respond quickly to a task or cover for another team member, you have permanent staff on hand who can help and who know exactly how everything is run already
• Many employers prefer having an in-house team of workers, as this makes it easier to evenly divide workloads and keep on top of progress

a 2 second google copied and pasted as really couldn’t be bothered to type out.

Sure, for the right person.

But they probably wouldn’t have been employed as a contractor in the first place.
The business in question no doubt has a whole bevy of permanent employees already.

But they probably wouldn’t have been employed as a contractor

contractor have their advantages too. Depending on the circumstances at the time may be more beneficial to have a contractor rather than an employee and nothing to do with the quality of said person