181–190 of 304 posts
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What structural factors, specifically, stop poor people from attaining the level of "expertise" necessary to buy disability insurance?
The short answer to this question is that they're individually insignificant and Atlus-like in aggregate. The long answer to this question is, in fact, extremely long.
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This is why a Social Health Care system would be such a boon to entrepreneurship. It would remove one of the biggest worries for people creating their own business.
Yea - we can work and pay taxes to give you a "boon" as you try out your next big idea. Sounds great for you, not so great for me. Hard pass.
Apparently to you everyone for socialized medicine is a freeloader who doesn't work or pay taxes.
This polarized vision is a large part of what plagues the country.
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Perhaps there's not social connection directly in the workplace, but there IS social connection between Uber/Lyft/etc drivers online. It was on HN a week or two ago: https://www.fastcompany.com/40501439/the-network-uber-driver... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16110598 The Network Uber Drivers Built: Ride-hail drivers work alone, but they’re banding together online to compare notes, uncover new policies, and he…
Personally, I think web forums like that are a poor substitute for actual interpersonal social connection. A 1-1 relationship with a friend, colleague, or supervisor can give you in particular a leg up when you need it. Any broadcast medium can't fill that role, all it can do is disseminate information to a wide group.
If all we're talking about is getting a small number of people a leg up, then is it so bad (socially) that contract work lacks that? In my mind, the whole question is about overall social benefit, thus benefit to the "wide group." In fact, if web forums are as equality-inducing as you imply (which I kind of doubt, to be honest), that would count as a big benefit overall to that kind of system.
Am I in the minority here for being a contract developer who is happy to be in this place? * I make over 40% more than I did when I was full-time, and I was already in the top band for pay in my title. This far exceeds the 15% markup for self-employment tax. * My wife works full time so she has our back for health insurance * I can save way more for retirement with an SEP IRA than I ever could with a company-sponsore…
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.
I guess it must be different in the US vs the UK. Contracting in the UK (at least in the IT world) is very popular and quite lucrative. (I guess not having to worry about health insurance helps somewhat, though) I've been permanent, and I've been contract, I really hope I get to finish the rest of my career as a contractor.
The US doesn't have the NHS.
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For those interested (namely, me) could you describe your current situation? * What sort of business entity are you using? What considerations did you make when choosing this entity? * What is your work like? Are you remote/onsite? Do you have one client or multiple? * What is your staff like? Are you a lone worker? Do you have coworkers in your business? What did you choose to offload onto others? * How do you manag…
* Currently sole proprietor. Will switch to LLC or C Corp in 2018 (depending on income), but I'd talk to your accountant to find out what's best for you. * I'm remote currently with high utilization client (as a subcontractor) and smaller retainer clients. * I am a firm of 1. * I have an accountant to manage taxes and finances. I keep meticulous records of what is a business vs a personal expense. The subcontractor g…
* Have you considered an S-corp? If so, reasons against listing it as an option?
* Any recommendations in general contractors (even if not specific ones, just things to look for in a general contractor)?
Thanks for your time and response(s)!
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Tell it your elected official, because the law currently obliges your employer to subsidize your insurance if they have greater than employees. This is not evil corporations pushing their insurance choice upon you, it's government pushing employee insurance mandates on corporations. If that bothers you(enough to compel you to take political action), then vote or write your elected official. If your elected official i…
If companies were, all of a sudden, no longer required to subsidize health insurance, who wants to bet that they will immediately pass all the savings on to each employee in the form of a raise? I guarantee you shareholders pocket the difference.
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OK, so you be sure, as a lone individual, to tell Uber you'd like to negotiate a higher contract rate with them in order to cover your expenses. And then when they laugh in your face, try it with another company. And another. And another. And let me know how it goes.
If someone is laughing in your face everywhere you go (especially with unemployment at an all-time low right now) then you probably need to recalibrate your expectations. However I'd venture a guess that most people aren't actually asking for higher rates. Most people do a terrible job negotiating for compensation (and by terrible I mean they don't even try). http://www.kalzumeus.com/2012/01/23/salary-negotiation/
He's talking about stuff like Uber. Their whole deal is having a take-it-or-leave it gig-employment offer. They'd laugh in his face if they actually took the time to talk to anyone face-to-face, which they don't.
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Personally, I think web forums like that are a poor substitute for actual interpersonal social connection. A 1-1 relationship with a friend, colleague, or supervisor can give you in particular a leg up when you need it. Any broadcast medium can't fill that role, all it can do is disseminate information to a wide group.
> can give you in particular a leg up when you need it. Any broadcast medium can't fill that role, all it can do is disseminate information to a wide group. If all we're talking about is getting a small number of people a leg up, then is it so bad (socially) that contract work lacks that? In my mind, the whole question is about overall social benefit, thus benefit to the "wide group." In fact, if web forums are as eq…
That's the wrong interpretation. It's about giving a large number of people each a personalized leg up. It's equality-inducing in the worst sense to have everyone hit the same indifferent and impersonal wall. Personalized opportunities are how you find holes through that wall.
Basically real human relationships are a safety valve in an inhumane system. Weak and distant broadcast relationships aren't.