Business support specialists

Your Misconceptions of Temporary Workers Are All Wrong

Jo Donelan

There is a common misconception that temp workers are simply those ‘between jobs’ and that they would much rather be on a permanent contract but are unable to do so: this is not true

Increasingly, we are seeing a rise in the number of people choosing temp work for a variety of reasons, for example, that it fits around their family life or allows them to study or train at the same time.

The rise in temporary contracts has been dubbed the ‘gig’ economy – where workers get paid for individual stints or ‘gigs’. The term generally applies to more casual work such a taxiing and delivery drivers but can apply to any number of different roles.

Another misconception of temporary workers is that they are somewhat of a ‘poorer’ standard than permanent hires. Again, this is not true.

The most recent data shows that there are 1.77 million contractors in the UK working on a full-time basis, contributing £119 billion to the nation’s economy.

Casual workers are not the only ones taking advantage of temp and contract work; there has also been a rise in the number of highly skilled workers choosing temporary work over full-time contracts, in their quest to strike the perfect work-life balance.

Take an IT engineer for example, who might charge a fee of up to £400 per day for their services; they do not want the hassle of searching for their own work but do not want to be tied into a permanent contract - they rely on recruitment companies to find work for them

As recruiters, we have seen a huge increase in skilled workers from all areas turn their backs on full-time permanent contracts for this kind of freedom, but this in no way means the quality of work they provide is any lower.

A study found that those who are self-employed or work on a contract or freelance basis are not just happier than those in regular roles; they are also more successful.
 

• Back to list