67% of clients choose contracting to avoid office politics

Respect. A word that holds a whole new meaning in 2020. This sentiment is echoed throughout the latest survey held by specialist contractor accountants Integro Accounting.

In March 2020, over 67% of the 700+ contractors surveyed actively chose to remove themselves from the permanent workforce and work independently to avoid office politics. With “greater respect from the end client” and being “seen and treated differently to permanent staff when consulting” a common theme among the replies.

With 1 in 6 workers expected to experience depression, anxiety or problems relating to stress from work, as reported by the Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England social enterprise organisation*, it comes as no surprise that many are choosing contracting as their way to avoid unnecessary stress and drama.

Compared to the first contractor survey held in summer 2019, these results show an increase of 8% selecting this as a reason behind their move away from permanent roles. This upward trend sees people prioritising their health and well-being when choosing how to work.

CEO of Integro Accounting, Christian Hickmott, commented “These surveys give us a fantastic snapshot as to the reality of the choices being made by contractors. We know that nearly three quarters of our clients choose flexibility and take-home pay as the number one reason they made the move into contracting; but “no office politics” has grown throughout the years as a core choice to make the move. With Covid-19 forcing the hand of end clients to adapt their way of working, with more people working from home, I would predict this increasing further later in the year. Easing stress levels means acquiring and retaining more talent; which end clients will be keen to ensure are kept”

Full results can be found here: Life as a Contractor Survey – Results 2020.

*https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/research-and-evaluation/mental-health-statistics/