Difference between a Temp worker and a Contract worker?

movingtotheuk

Anyone care to explain this?

In my eyes (Im open to correction) a temp worker is just casual labour and you are just paid hour to hour.

Where as a contract has an end and finish date.

Basically I went for a contract role( I was told it was contract) and now I am just signing the T&C's for a temp worker.

Is there a big difference between the two or am I wrong?

Bigcheeze

Either Temp or Contract work could be used to describe this employment. i.e. it's work for a defined period of time, whereas permanent employment has no end date.

It shouldn't make any difference to you.

movingtotheuk

Bigcheeze wrote: »

Either Temp or Contract work could be used to describe this employment. i.e. it's work for a defined period of time, whereas permanent employment has no end date.

It shouldn't make any difference to you.

I just had this idea a contract was bit more defined and you had to sign an actual contract whereas being a temp you just sign there T+C's.

Bigcheeze

movingtotheuk wrote: »

I just had this idea a contract was bit more defined and you had to sign an actual contract whereas being a temp you just sign there T+C's.

If you're employed you have to have an employment contract. By signing the "T's and C's", you've signed an employment contract. It doesn't have to say "employment contract" on the top.

pow wow

Temporary workers have contracts too! Most office based 'contract' workers are known as temps. Casual workers would be the kind of temps you're thinking of. Unsure of any legal difference but if it's just the title of the contract that's surprised you I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

tenchi-fan

I associate the term "temp" with very short-term assignments versus "contract" with a fixed length.

But, They're the same thing. I doubt there's a definition in employment law.

Mrs OBumble

The problem is mis-use of the word contractor.

A real contractor is not an employee. They have no employment rights, and are paid based on invoice, not paid wages/salary. Most contractors do highly skilled, project based work (eg in IT, construction, marketing campaigns etc). Their daily rates are high (and they need to be, because these folks cover their own leave, training, PRSI, etc).

Real contractors are perceived as high-status people.

Temps, on the other hand, are often perceived as low-status people: casual workers as you described 'em before, and highly replaceable.

Therefore employers who want to take people on as fixed-term employees (especially skilled IT workers and the like) but don't want them to feel like low-status folks, will often call them "contractors". This leads to confusion - so when someone asks here about a contracting issue, my first question is often whether they're paid on invoice or through a payroll system.

And as someone said temps do have employment contracts ... but so do permanent employees.

movingtotheuk

JustMary wrote: »

The problem is mis-use of the word contractor.

A real contractor is not an employee. They have no employment rights, and are paid based on invoice, not paid wages/salary. Most contractors do highly skilled, project based work (eg in IT, construction, marketing campaigns etc). Their daily rates are high (and they need to be, because these folks cover their own leave, training, PRSI, etc).

Real contractors are perceived as high-status people.

Temps, on the other hand, are often perceived as low-status people: casual workers as you described 'em before, and highly replaceable.

Therefore employers who want to take people on as fixed-term employees (especially skilled IT workers and the like) but don't want them to feel like low-status folks, will often call them "contractors". This leads to confusion - so when someone asks here about a contracting issue, my first question is often whether they're paid on invoice or through a payroll system.

And as someone said temps do have employment contracts ... but so do permanent employees.

Yes thats what I would have thought! That is what I am getting into.

I was of the belief I was getting into a more concrete contract type situation.

tenchi-fan

movingtotheuk wrote: »

I was of the belief I was getting into a more concrete contract type situation.

Nothing's concrete in the first 12 months even if the job is called a permanent job.

Temp, contract, permanent, probation, full-time, part-time.. the labels don't really matter. Just pay attention to the terms in your contract, namely pay, hours and holidays.

Mrs OBumble

movingtotheuk wrote: »

Yes thats what I would have thought! That is what I am getting into.

I was of the belief I was getting into a more concrete contract type situation.

Be that as it may: if you do not have a contract-of-indefinite-duration, ie you do have a finish date, then you are a "temp" - even if you're highly skilled and relatively highly paid, and don't think of yourself in the same league as the school-leaver who's in doing filing for a few days.

It's even more fun if you're an employee of an agency: the company that I'm working at see me as a contractor (they pay when the agency invoices them, and they don't have to worry about training or managing me). But my pay packet, and the agency (and Revenue and Welfare) see me as an employee. I'm not complaining at all ... but it can make for interesting relationships sometimes.

vikingdub

JustMary wrote: »

Be that as it may: if you do not have a contract-of-indefinite-duration, ie you do have a finish date, then you are a "temp" - even if you're highly skilled and relatively highly paid, and don't think of yourself in the same league as the school-leaver who's in doing filing for a few days.

It's even more fun if you're an employee of an agency: the company that I'm working at see me as a contractor (they pay when the agency invoices them, and they don't have to worry about training or managing me). But my pay packet, and the agency (and Revenue and Welfare) see me as an employee. I'm not complaining at all ... but it can make for interesting relationships sometimes.

The contract of employment or terms and conditions of employment set out the employment relationship. Temporary or contract employees are employed either for a specified term or a specified purpose and are afforded certain rights under the PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES (FIXED-TERM WORK) ACT 2003.

PROTECTION OF EMPLOYEES (FIXED-TERM WORK) ACT 2003

srsly78

Most contracts contain a cancellation clause. There is nothing "solid" about them, contracts can be terminated. Usually there is a 1week -> 4 week notification period but that's it (talking about the high-end contracts here).

If you want job security you gotta go permanent.