Reply #5: Well... [View All]

[eileen_d]

Should employers offer benefits to PT/contract workers? I think they should have incentives to do so.

I would guess that some people are patching PT/contract work into more than 40 hour work weeks. By choice? Probably not. It's not exactly a job seeker's market.

Then again, other folks might be realizing that 40-80 hour workweeks is not the life they want to lead. If they have the resources, they can make the choice to work less than full time. And you could argue that this leaves full-time jobs open to people who need the hours.

Just playing devil's advocate here - I think you make an interesting and valid point. I left my job voluntarily (and have no regrets whatsoever) and was replaced by a part-timer. I'm sure my born-again-anger-management-candidate boss is happy not to be paying for my salary and benefits anymore. But the company (a small one) is also in trouble financially, so I don't blame him. He hired a new grad while I am, well, "more experienced"

I also want to add that the benefits I had at this job were pretty crappy. After quitting, I signed up for the cheapest state plan (for portability coverage) and am now getting coverage that was previously denied when I was employed. It has already paid for itself after only 3 months - and I would be paying out of pocket were I still at my old job.