Reasons to Consider a Fixed Term Contract
There are pros and cons to accepting a fixed-term contract. They are often something that is seen in quite a negative light by many people. They fail to see that there can actually be a very good opportunity awaiting them. They are seen as quite insecure as a form of employment and tend to be overlooked fairly often for that reason. More than anything at the moment, people are looking for job security, so it is unsurprising that short fixed-term contracts may not receive the number of applicants they perhaps should.
There may be many reasons why a role is only for a short period of time. In some sectors like the charity sector, these can relate heavily to the funding situation. The charity may have only been allocated a certain amount of funding for the role until they can prove that it is worth continuing for the longer-term.
A fixed-term role may also be created to help over a busy time of year and this is something that is more common in sectors such as retail and hospitality. The other main reason for a fixed-term contract is that you would be providing cover for an employee who was off work on long-term sickness or maternity leave.
Reasons to Accept a Fixed-Term Contract
There are a number of reasons to consider accepting a fixed-term contract and we have included some of these below.
A Low-Pressure Way to Gain Experience
A fixed-term contract can be an ideal opportunity to gain some experience with a particular job role and there is little pressure attached to it. If you are on a fixed-term contract, you often won't be included in the long-term planning meetings as you won't be there that long. This means there are fewer meetings to attend, which can free you up to make the best of the role in the time that you have it and impress your employers.
Expectations of you will tend to be lower than those of other permanent employees and this makes it a low-pressure way to gain valuable experience in the job role.
You May be Paid More than the Standard Rate
As fixed-term vacancies tend to be more difficult to fill, the money that is offered to attract candidates can be more than what would be offered to an internal candidate to do the same work. This is obviously to your advantage and is a great reason to consider a fixed-term contract, or even a few of them in succession with different companies. It can be a great way to build up some savings and some financial security in your life. In the UK colleagues generally don’t discuss their salaries all that much so it is unlikely that colleagues will have the chance to be annoyed that you are earning more than them, even though they have been there a much longer period of time than you.
A Taster of a Different Career
You can take a short-term contract as a taster of a different career, to ascertain whether you would like to do this kind of job on a longer-term basis or whether it isn’t for you. This is an excellent way to find out if something is a good fit for you and perhaps open up new doors for your career in the process.
It can be a way of testing your uncertainties about whether a role is for you and being able to figure out whether your experience of working in this area for the short term is something that you would like to repeat in a different job on a longer-term basis.
The Same Rights as Permanent Workers
Fixed term contract workers have the same rights in the UK as those on permanent contracts. As with most contracts, there will be a probationary period, to ensure that the arrangement is working for both parties and you are allowed to terminate at any point, as long as you give the required period of notice, as per your contract. You should accrue annual leave at the same rates as permanent workers and you are entitled to be treated as well as any other employee at the organisation.
The Job May Become Permanent
Even though it has started out as a fixed-term contract, if you impress your line managers and colleagues, it is possible that the role may be made permanent and it may be offered to you on that basis. This is an opportunity that many don’t see with fixed-term jobs, they assume that they can only ever be fixed-term and that there is no evolution of the role possible.
If the job role becomes permanent, you will be perfectly placed to secure it and will most likely just be offered the chance to accept it, based on the way you have been performing in the role to date, saving the company the hassle of advertising and interviewing for the role all over again.
It May be a Good Route into the Industry
If the job is one that you haven’t done before, in an industry that isn’t all that familiar to you but that you would like to break into, then it would be a simple way to get your foot in the door of the industry. You will get to know people and to network during your time at the organisation and this will stand you in good stead when it comes to looking for permanent jobs in a similar vein.
Good routes into an industry can be hard to find once the standard route of school, university, graduate and applying for a job in desired industry has been exhausted. You may even be able to apply for a job that is in a higher pay bracket than would have been otherwise possible. This is because employers value a range of different levels of experience across different areas of work and when this is backed up by varied life experiences, you become a desirable candidate for the job.
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