tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post4661046184012717428..comments2023-07-17T11:02:28.134-04:00Comments on HR Observations: Free Agent Workers: "Everyone is going to be self-employed"Michael D. Haberman, SPHRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03546267153692058128noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-70913727266590360162010-10-24T23:09:51.921-04:002010-10-24T23:09:51.921-04:00I think most people are too lazy and/or ignorant t...I think most people are too lazy and/or ignorant to ever handle the kind of responsibility that that sort of work involves. <br /><br /><i>Wait, you mean I'm accountable for <b>results</b>, not how long I'm in my chair?</i> <br /><br />:-) I'd love it, though!Ben Eubankshttp://upstarthr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-86439504726627105352010-10-24T16:43:12.153-04:002010-10-24T16:43:12.153-04:00Following a layoff I was out of work, fortunately ...Following a layoff I was out of work, fortunately only briefly, for about as long as I might have expected to be if I were, indeed, a "solopreneur." It changed my mind entirely about the subject. Although I had much higher than average financial "cushion" saved up, the time off halted money going to retirement and gave me a personal introduction to the huge cost and poor value of non-employee medical insurance. As someone with a firm knowledge of my old company culture, "how we do things," and who's who, I was one of those valuable older employees. I exited into a market where my organizational knowledge had to be rebuilt from scratch and my value was significantly lowered. Like many, my pay was lowered for a couple years while I rebuilt my worth, putting my retirement plan further behind. We had always been frugal but we're much stricter with budget now. While the loss wasn't crushing, when I imagine an economy where such breaks happen to everyone often, and happen to people less prepared than we were, I can't imagine how it would maintain the level of consumerism that a healthy economy needs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-81417746891581441392010-10-22T17:10:14.357-04:002010-10-22T17:10:14.357-04:00Excellent post, Mike. Before Tom Peters there was ...Excellent post, Mike. Before Tom Peters there was Mike Montoya and Terri Lonier saying similar things. I consistently disagree. You've and the commenters have covered many of the reasons why the "Free Agent Nation" is not likely to happen any time soon. Here are some others. <br /><br />It's hard to be a free agent. The paperwork burden is far heavier relative to either revenue or transactions than it is for a larger corporations. This looks like it will get worse with the new health care and "financial regulation" laws. <br /><br />Taxation is usually higher for solopreeneurs. That's because many jurisdictions that do not have a personal income tax do levy a tax on "small businesses." At the very least that includes business or privilege license. And some states have tried to levy taxes on people who are speakers who give a keynote in their state, or coaches who coach people in their state over the phone. This will only get worse because governments are strapped for cash. <br /><br />There's also the fact than an awful lot of people don't want to be in business for themselves. They want to do what they do (marketing, accounting, whatever) and let their employer do all that messy administrative stuff. <br /><br />Our laws define two sorts of entities in this regard. There are businesses and there are individuals. We don't have a third entity, solopreneur, for folks who are a bit of both.Wally Bockhttp://blog.threestarleadership.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-34875375204862002482010-10-22T14:01:48.710-04:002010-10-22T14:01:48.710-04:00Yeah Mike that is a good way to look at things, i....Yeah Mike that is a good way to look at things, i.e. freeing up something things. It is like another other negotiations - if you want to move from 2 to 3, you have to ask for 10 first to get to three. Great Post- very thought provoking.Dave Ryanhttp://www.hrofficial.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-49252260255057599092010-10-22T13:29:30.419-04:002010-10-22T13:29:30.419-04:00I have already seen this trend with a place my spo...I have already seen this trend with a place my spouse went and applied for a job. He has over 25 years of experience but the job required that he sign on as a "contractor" not one of the "employees" that worked there, though he would be working for the company.<br /><br />On the other hand, working in the non-profit arena, we get contracts that provide a salary for a position and then specifies money for contracting out. The money designated is in no way sufficent for us to hire a person so we do use contractors from time to time. But the time limit is specified as well as the results needed are very specific. <br /><br />We had more people wanting the contract position than interested in a full time position with the company. Ironic isn't it?Adriannanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-24570876061697812692010-10-22T11:49:57.978-04:002010-10-22T11:49:57.978-04:00Dave I agree. It would have to be a MAJOR change i...Dave I agree. It would have to be a MAJOR change in the scheme of things for this to occur. Any you hit the nail on the head.. unions and union lawyers. But what might come out of this some day is an "freeing up" of some of the rules and regulations surrounding independent contractors. But that is not headed in that direction. Plus state revenue departments would fight it as well.Michael D. Haberman, SPHRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03546267153692058128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-48582244125922758332010-10-22T11:45:24.313-04:002010-10-22T11:45:24.313-04:00Agreed!
Unions had their day, but I don't se...Agreed! <br /><br />Unions had their day, but I don't see them fitting into today's business model. I know they "own" politicians by giving them their unified support. Frankly, I don't agree with this and find it to be certainly disadvantageous to the independent worker.Cyndy Trivellahttp://www.nasrecruitment.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-68608034265073426622010-10-22T11:44:36.532-04:002010-10-22T11:44:36.532-04:00Wow are you some kind of anarchist or what? In rea...Wow are you some kind of anarchist or what? In reality, I don't think this could EVER happen, given the powers that be; unions trial lawyers, etc.Dave Ryanhttp://www.hrofficial.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-69489343704828834322010-10-22T11:41:51.415-04:002010-10-22T11:41:51.415-04:00Wow Mike, are you some kind of anarchist or what? ...Wow Mike, are you some kind of anarchist or what? I find the concept intruiging, although all of the powers that be will never let this happen - in my opinion.Dave Ryanhttp://www.hrofficial.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-67017489749269621982010-10-22T11:37:47.675-04:002010-10-22T11:37:47.675-04:00Cyndy:
Much of what is driving the current increas...Cyndy:<br />Much of what is driving the current increase in enforcement and scrutiny derives from two sources. First is just the political philosophy of "business is bad, workers need to be protected." Thus we penalize companies that "mistreat" workers by not paying overtime, benefits etc., as is the case with independent contractors. <br /><br />The second source is unions. Unions cannot organize independent contractors. No one to organize = no unions. And the unions have given too much money to legislators to allow that to happen.Michael D. Haberman, SPHRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03546267153692058128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-45707718890785239322010-10-22T11:30:21.729-04:002010-10-22T11:30:21.729-04:00Mike--Wow, this is an interesting article! Here is...Mike--Wow, this is an interesting article! Here is my two cents. I learned a few months ago that small business/contractors/independents actually comprise 85% of the businesses in the USA. I had no idea the percentage was that high. So given this, why does the government want to make it difficult for these folks to do business? IF there are proper rules/regulations/laws in place to insure Uncle Sam gets his cut, (which there may not be and why the government is so uncooperative)why not use this 85%? If people don't work, we don't circulate money. If we don't circulate money, the economy stays put where it is.Cyndy Trivellahttp://www.nasrecruitment.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10703689.post-51943374258100898932010-10-22T11:19:19.421-04:002010-10-22T11:19:19.421-04:00Depends on who is in office and the make up of the...Depends on who is in office and the make up of the Supreme Court. I could have seen W liking this idea. With the current President; not only no, but hell no.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com