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The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

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Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#81

Post by rectang »

acconrad wrote: post #76

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…

The trends in the article don't impact people like you much -- but they have a huge impact on these Uber drivers and Postmates runners, and there are a lot more of them. Your situation doesn't generalize to the wider population.

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#82

Post by grasshopperpurp »

briffle wrote: post #79
acconrad wrote: post #76

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…

How would your situation change, if item number 2 was no longer there. (ie, your wife became a contractor) I think that is the largest concern/tipping point for most people..

Seems like the OP is making enough money that it wouldn't be a significant issue - assuming the OP is living within his/her means. It's the 3rd point ($$) that differentiates the OP from the vast majority - as far as I can tell.

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#83

Post by qwerty456127 »

virmundi wrote: post #50
qwerty456127 wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can't it actually do this? Can't a club of people establish a nonprofit and buy insurance collectively somewhat the way corporations do?

Probably not. States set what insurance can allow. If your state blocks small groups from getting insurance, then you’re out in the cold. http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2011/05/02/group-health-...

> States set what insurance can allow.

Why? From my perspective the whole problem with healthcare and insurance is these are way far from a free markets. Wouldn't it be better if the insurance companies would just look at what people want and offer just that for the prices that make both sides interested?

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#84

Post by prepend »

korethr wrote: post #69
40acres wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree, however our government is not up to the task. Ever since Congress passed Obamacare it has been in a fight to survive, instead of trying to improve the system (which has clear benefits) Republicans have spent the past few years trying to dismantle it along with other "entitlements". The American worker is getting squeezed on both sides, private employers are offering less and less and government is not pickin…

As I recall, Obamacare didn't do much, if anything, to decouple health plans from employment. If anything it made it more tightly coupled, by mandating employers with more than so many full-time employees provide health plans. The individual mandate didn't decouple health plans from employers, it just provided additional insult to injury by causing those whom were un- or under-employed and couldn't afford a now even…

The creation of exchanges for purchases and removal of preexisting conditions as exclusions made it much more possible to buy insurance outside of group plans.

I contracted for a few years and it was impossible to get insurance at a reasonable cost because of an extremely common health condition that’s never caused complication in my life. So I was only able to get insurance through employers.

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#85

Post by paulryanrogers »

liminalisht wrote: post #74
Ancalagon wrote: post #35

I'm sure I'll get some flak for saying this on HN, but I would encourage everyone not to take a contracting gig unless you're absolutely desperate for work. I don't believe most people are cut out to properly negotiate the pay for a contracting position (in that they do not know how to properly account for all of the benefits they are not getting). And by taking a contracting position you are basically encouraging th…

I've been working as a contractor for the last year and a half, so I speak from experience, but only anecdotally. Regarding the notion that the flexibility of a contracting position might cause stress for those w/ children, I've found the opposite to be the case. When my child is sick, I simply take a day off and don't bill for that day. I don't worry about sick days at all. This sort of flexibility is a huge plus at…

Having an employed spouse seems to be a common thread

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#87

Post by liminalisht »

paulryanrogers wrote: post #85
liminalisht wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been working as a contractor for the last year and a half, so I speak from experience, but only anecdotally. Regarding the notion that the flexibility of a contracting position might cause stress for those w/ children, I've found the opposite to be the case. When my child is sick, I simply take a day off and don't bill for that day. I don't worry about sick days at all. This sort of flexibility is a huge plus at…

Having an employed spouse seems to be a common thread

Yes, and I never would even consider it otherwise.

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#88

Post by Jesus_Jones »

acconrad wrote: post #76

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…

It might work for some people. Many people don't have a spouse providing health insurance - without that it's drastically different. Probably your spouse has a reliable job so you can weather the danger of not having work when a contract ends. You are fortunate, good for you. But if you got hurt, and were single, you'd be much more vulnerable. I'm lucky, I work in a full time job with all the benefits, but not everyone is that lucky.

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#89

Post by lostcolony »

prepend wrote: post #84
korethr wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I recall, Obamacare didn't do much, if anything, to decouple health plans from employment. If anything it made it more tightly coupled, by mandating employers with more than so many full-time employees provide health plans. The individual mandate didn't decouple health plans from employers, it just provided additional insult to injury by causing those whom were un- or under-employed and couldn't afford a now even…

The creation of exchanges for purchases and removal of preexisting conditions as exclusions made it much more possible to buy insurance outside of group plans. I contracted for a few years and it was impossible to get insurance at a reasonable cost because of an extremely common health condition that’s never caused complication in my life. So I was only able to get insurance through employers.

This. I had asthma as a child. Now? No meds, no issues, for two decades.

I would not qualify for affordable healthcare because of that pre-existing condition without Obamacare. Even as is, with the fragility of our political system, I am very wary of contract work; the concern that I could lose healthcare at any time based on elected idiots stymies me.

Re: The Challenges of Being in the New Contract Workforce

#90

Post by Jesus_Jones »

Ancalagon wrote: post #61
humanrebar wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Contract work should be fine. I frankly blame the American government for tying healthcare to not just employment status but particular employer so tightly for so long. It is frankly ridiculous and disgraceful that our political leaders are not held to account for this. The early Tea Party was supposed to be organized around a theme of "stop the nonsense and denial!" with respect to these kinds of problems, but it wa…

Oh I agree completely, it should be fine. But mega-insurance already managed to lobby basic universal health care out of existence. And now that those safety nets have been removed, employers want to have their cake and eat it too by not giving health insurance to their employees. I'd rather the american people have some access to healthcare than none at all. So until the people figure out that universal healthcare i…

maybe some mega insurance was against obamacare, but a lot of them wanted it to continue because it was providing steady business. most individuals liked it for the changes like kids being on parent's health ins till 25.
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