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 many found to be “seen and treated differently to permanent staff when consulting”, one client quoted.

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 many are choosing contracting as their way to avoid the unnecessary stress and drama.

This survey means there has been an increase of 8% compared to the first contractor survey held in summer 2019, where only 62% stated this choice. This upward trend sees people prioritising their health and wellbeing when choosing how to work.

CEO of Integro Accounting, Christian Hickmott, quoted “These surveys give us a fantastic snapshot as to the reality of what choices are 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 hands 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 more talent which now we need 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/