[austechwriter] Re: Another one down - and almost out

I think that very sum: $40 x 40hrs x 52 weeks = $83200 was what enticed me
into contracting. You even find yourself thinking, "gees, you know, some
weeks I can even do more than my 40 hours - I'm gonna be raking it in!"

But, if you put more realistic figures into that sum...

Say you do two contracts during the year with 4 weeks between each one
(fairly optimistic, but common). So 44 weeks.

You work some weeks for more than your 40 hours, but other weeks you might
have to take a day off. I've found that I generally work about 38 hours a
week, when averaged over a contract. 

So already you have 40 x 44 x 38 = $66880. So still not too bad.

Then you've got super coming out @ 9%. So that's $60861.

Then you get four weeks' paid leave if you're full time. So that's now
$56179

And 8 days' paid sick leave. Down to $54306.

And THEN consider that you may be out of work for up to 3 months, as I was
recently and contracting in general doesn't look too great.

I DO think tech writers should be getting at least the $50/hour mark, but
unfortunately (like so many other things) market demand drives down the
price. And the above logic was one of my main decisions to go full time.

What was the point of that rant? Ermmmm... None really. Ummm, don't get
jealous of contractors perhaps?

Craig Bligh
Technical Writer, Product Development
MXL Consolidated Pty Ltd
Level 3, 62 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone +61 2 8249 0000
Fax +61 2 8249 0099
Email craig.bligh@xxxxxxx
www.mxl.com 
 
Wise Software Solutions for the Global Education Market


-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Lewis [mailto:mlewis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Monday, 30 June 2003 4:57 PM
To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [austechwriter] Re: Another one down - and almost out


geoff@xxxxxxxxxxx:

> Quoting Michael Edward Granat <megranat@xxxxxxxx>:
> >
> > The unrealistic job requirements, the $40.00 and less an hour offers 
> > and the unfunded relocation requirements that we have seen of late 
> > are just
an
> > insult to our profession.
> >
>
> I think that $40 x 40hrs x 52weeks = $83200pa
>
> Anyone who thinks that $83,200 p.a. is an unrealistically *low* salary
will
> probably remain uneployed for a considerable amount of time.

True for employees. I wonder how many people on this list work as
contractors or consultants? For them, the first thing to go out of the
window is 52 weeks; no paid leave (nor paid public holidays). Then there's
workers' compensation insurance, plus "infreastructure" costs (incorporation
or registration, bookkeeping, etc). Not to mention the downtime, which can
become horrendously long, between gigs.

Michael Lewis

--------------------------------------
Brandle Pty Limited, Sydney, Australia http://www.brandle.com.au
--------------------------------------

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