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I'm a contractor for a big tech company. I enjoy the privilege of doing work for them, and personally am not bothered by the big wall between temps/contractors/consultants/whatever, but some people are bothered by it.
I'll share some of the things I've personally witnessed and find hilarious. No joke:
* There's a coffee machine that has a sign that reads "FTEs only!" I'm surprised they haven't extended this to drinking fountains. I won't be surprised if they do.
* Non-FTEs have to park in the far-away parking lot. This isn't a written rule, but an unspoken one. I was told on the first day that I had made a mistake by parking in the close parking lot.
* Non-FTEs are only allowed in certain areas of the building. If you accidentally try to scan your card on an FTE-only door, you're fired!
* Non-FTEs are given a certain prefix to their email accounts. FTEs will often ignore emails by non-FTEs. Sometimes important work is stalled because FTE managers didn't care to to respond to emails from non-FTTEs.
* 40-50% of this company is run by non-FTEs (the exact figures aren't kept on books), but we don't get invited to any launch parties and don't get any credit for the work that is accomplished.
I'm a contractor for a big tech company. I enjoy the privilege of doing work for them, and personally am not bothered by the big wall between temps/contractors/consultants/whatever, but some people are bothered by it.
I'll share some of the things I've personally witnessed and find hilarious. No joke:
* There's a coffee machine that has a sign that reads "FTEs only!" I'm surprised they haven't extended this to drinking fountains. I won't be surprised if they do.
* Non-FTEs have to park in the far-away parking lot. This isn't a written rule, but an unspoken one. I was told on the first day that I had made a mistake by parking in the close parking lot.
* Non-FTEs are only allowed in certain areas of the building. If you accidentally try to scan your card on an FTE-only door, you're fired!
* Non-FTEs are given a certain prefix to their email accounts. FTEs will often ignore emails by non-FTEs. Sometimes important work is stalled because FTE managers didn't care to to respond to emails from non-FTTEs.
* 40-50% of this company is run by non-FTEs (the exact figures aren't kept on books), but we don't get invited to any launch parties and don't get any credit for the work that is accomplished.
Good Post, I have been a victim of this kind apartheid system that operates in many workplaces.
Not just all the things you outlined, but FTE's who have an all consuming hatred for contractors, constantly complaining how much contractors are paid, and trying their upmost to backstab them.
Many of the contractors were there actually longer than the FTEs, and were involved in bigger projects but choose to be contractors to earn more.
FTE's won't eat lunch with contractors. FTEs are generally Snobby types who don't mind working for a lowish salary as long as they are seen to have some sort of status. Contractors wanted more money but less concerned about workplace politics and status.
Even family members who when you tell them your a contractor that they start to hate you, start telling you to become an FTE, start telling that being a contractor is the worst possible thing you can do in life. As if your committing some sort of crime being a contractor.
I just it found very strange why so there much hate over your employment status, what difference does a benefits package, and perhaps more notice if they choose to fire you mean.
In some places, contractors are treated like 2nd class citizens. Where I worked at, it wasn't that bad. I didn't get invited to some of the government functions, but I wasn't too bummed out. I was told they don't like it when contractors stay late when the regulars aren't around, but I don't get the issue... I went through a security investigation, which should be like everyone else. A coworker had a chance to work for them as a regular, but turned it down since he gets paid more as a contractor. He probably could've stuck around longer, but honestly he was considering moving back to his home state anyways.
Kinda reminds me of my contractor position with Xerox. Can't get regular access like FTEs, not invited to parties in office, etc. Ah well, I still get experience and a paycheck anyway.
That sounds worse than my crappy permatemp job at Pepsi. They'd kick us out of research meetings after the safety portion (we signed NDA's), ban us from parties or any sort of social events, paid us like crap, I ended up filing ss-8 on my agency and winning, they wouldn't even give us flu shots. I think the worst part were they would deluge everyone with emails stating what a ethical company they were and won fake awards for it and how great they treat their workers.
Whatever money they saved they lost when they had horrible morale amongst their workers, everyone was always looking to quit and they constantly had to retrain workers, Only a certain percent were any good to begin with, I was one of the few workers fully competent on their $200k equipment. It is a sad commentary on companies that they p*ss away their good talent and complain about shortages and trouble recruiting.
I don't do business with companies that abuse the temp system as I sit here drinking my generic rip off Mountain Dew and type this on my Linux computer.
That sounds worse than my crappy permatemp job at Pepsi...I don't do business with companies that abuse the temp system as I sit here drinking my generic rip off Mountain Dew and type this on my Linux computer.
Huh?
Mountain Dew IS a Pepsi product, if I'm not mistaken (unless you were being sarcastic)...
You do realize you're still giving business to Pepsi though, yes?
Where do you think the store gets the "generic" Moutain Dew from?
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