Leaving a permanent job for a fixed term contract

Juneycelestia

Hello. I currently have a permanent contract. I work part time (28 hours a week) two days from home and two days I commute to a city two hours away which costs £40 a day.

A job has come up in the town I live in. It is the same field I work in and the same salary I earn now. I would be working 35 hours but with no commuting costs of time, so I would be better off each month. But it's a one year fixed term contract. Part of me can't believe such a tempting job has come up but the other part thinks it is a big risk leaving a permanent job for a fixed term contract.

I am a single parent, with one child so I do feel I need to be extra cautious. What if I couldn't find another job at the end of the contract or I could only find a job where I had to commute every day? I just don't know what to do.

TELLIT01

We can't make the decision for you. You need to list the pro's and con's of each job and work from there. Basically though, if you are risk averse you should probably stay in the current job, assuming the company is stable.
You have highlighted the risks of a fixed term contract, but 'fixed term' doesn't necessarily mean there is no likelihood of another contract after 12 months.

Savvy_Sue

I know some people have poured scorn on me for suggesting this in the past, but I think it's always worth asking why it's a FTC and what their hopes are at the end of the contract. We (small charity) often advertise FTC jobs - sometimes because it's maternity cover, when it's obvious that it is a fixed term. Sometimes we've only got funding for a fixed term, or maybe the job itself is time limited.

But quite often we advertise a FTC because we don't know if we'll be able to make it a longer contract, but actually that's what we want to do, we just haven't got the funding for that right now.

My job was a one year FTC - nearly 20 years ago!

TELLIT01

My wife can't match your time Savvy_Sue, but she has now been on the permanent staff for over 4 years following a FTC. It does happen, and probably more often than many people think. The FTC is a nice clean 'Get out of Jail' card for the employer despite the fact that they can get rid of anybody in the first 2 years anyway.

another_casualty

If you like the job you’re already in , then you could be jumping from frying pan into fire. Just a thought .

StevenB12

As with any job, you take a risk. Whether that be permanent, temporary, part time or fixed, there's always a risk involved.

The way I would look at it is, if you are on a permanent, guaranteed income of money, then you want to be looking for permanent, guaranteed work, on more money, is there no jobs even a bit closer to you, that are permanent and in your same line of work? Or something that you can do/enjoy?

As others have said, there are places who state it's fixed term, but they will take you back on the next year and so on, IF the work is there. One of my friends works fixed term abroad for 10 months I think? But he's been doing that for 2 years now and has been told he will always have a position for those 10 months if he wishes to go back (maintenance worker in a hotel) but in November & December he goes without work as it's a quiet period. So he needs to make 10 months pay stretch a year etc.

Again as others have said you would need to think long term and not just at the next year, what happens the year after? Worst case scenario being if you take it and you find out about 10/11 months in that there is no work after the contract is up, you would be job hunting again before that time.

Tabbytabitha

When you say the same salary, do you mean the same hourly rate (so you'll be earning 25% more for working full time rather than part time) or do you mean that you'll be earning the same for working 35 hours as you currently do for working 28?

74jax

I personally wouldn't want to work an extra 7 hours for the same salary. I understand you'd be saving on travel costs, but I still think, for me, it wouldn't be the right move.

I too worked on a 12 month fixed term which was extended for another 12 months.

[Deleted User]

I went from a temp job I loved to a full time permanent job I lost after 4 months of hell. The job description wasn't as described (radically different), I didn't realise three previous people had been chased out of the job before me, the hierarchy in the job changed (the person who was my direct boss had very different ideas as to what my role should be - which I wasn't qualified for - compared to HR who interviewed me). I could have stayed in the temp job for the forseeable future, they loved me there, but I did the sensible thing and went for the permanent job.

If you want to make an informed decision, try to find more out about the new company, why the job exists, atmosphere in the new company etc. If you can.

FBaby

Apply, see if you get an interview and take it from there. No point in debating before being in the position to have to decide.

If you do get in this position, you will have to assess the gain vs risk. You won't remove the full element of risk, but you'll have to use as much information as you can gather.

Why is it only temporary? Are you replacing someone who is on maternity leave? Is it a funding issue, if so, is it only 1 year because they want to see if it worth the investment or is it that they really only have funding for one year and have no intention to continue with the role. Is there scope for another job in the company, are they regularly advertising?

On the other hand, how secure is your job currently, and what benefit are you getting that you would lose if taking the new job.

In the end, you would have to make a decision that only time will confirm whether it was the right one or not, so whatever it is, you'll have to stick with it.

shortcrust

We're all different and we all have different circumstance. I'm not at all fazed by fixed term jobs. I've had quite a few and they've always been extended for as long as I've wanted. But then I've quit permanent jobs with nothing else lined up without worrying too much.:) I'm not sure how that helps anyone else (see first sentence).