This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with an IT field worker in Virginia who finds gigs on WorkMarket and Field Nation, two platforms for IT contractors. The contractor asked that Business Insider not publish his name for fear of retaliation from WorkMarket and Field Nation, but BI has verified his identity and employment. The story has been edited for length and clarity.
I was contacted by a company that seemed to have a job opening about 2 ½ years ago. I had quit my full-time job because it felt like time to move on, but I made a terrible mistake: I left before I had another position. One day, I got a call saying, “Hey, we are looking for traveling IT workers,” and I just jumped on it.
Everything looked like this was just a normal hiring process. They were looking for somebody to do some computer networking for them. They had me go through the steps to sign up through WorkMarket, which seemed like the company’s platform for managing workflow. They asked all your regular job interview questions, like, “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
It wasn’t until after that call ended and I really started looking at WorkMarket that I realized the job was a contract role. There were jobs for a lot of companies on WorkMarket. It’s gig work, essentially, like DoorDash for IT contractors.
I’ve now worked for lots of different companies through WorkMarket and Field Nation, a similar platform. Companies hire me to do jobs on their behalf, usually at other companies that are their clients. My day-to-day can be anything from fixing printers to a hard-drive swap.
These apps usually say: “Don’t tell the client companies that you’ve been recruited through Field Nation.” Instead, they want us to say we’re here “on behalf of” the company that hired us.
I started out mostly doing what I wanted to do, which is network administration. But on these platforms, it’s been difficult to be successful just doing that.
Both WorkMarket and Field Nation charge their gig workers fees. Of the two, Field Nation’s are significantly higher — about 15% — than WorkMarket, where they’re about 10%. And the fees are on everything, not just earnings. If I do a job and I run 200 feet of cable, I request the cost of that back, and Field Nation takes 15% of that. Even if it’s a mileage reimbursement, they take a cut of the total cost before taxes.
I’ve baked that into my costs. I add in that extra 15% on top of whatever those are. But some companies I work for aren’t happy with that and push back. There have been times when they’ve refused to pay the extra amount, and I’ve taken the hit financially.
As a contractor, you also get rated on these platforms by the companies you work for based on the job you do, whether you showed up on time and other stuff. Both of them put it front and center that if your ratings get too low, you’re not going to get a lot of work.
In turn, we can rate the companies we work for, but obviously, they can see what we say. So, if you look at contractor ratings of companies, you’ll see a lot of five-star reviews. If you give a company one star, they’re just not going to send you work again.
It’s so difficult to decide if this is better than a regular, 9-to-5 job. The main benefit is that I have contacts at a lot of different companies that I wouldn’t have if I had just been working at one. The actual money I make ends up being a lot more than I would get at a regular job, though I’m not paid for the time that I’m sitting at home, looking for my next gig, and setting up my schedule.
There’s also the freedom. I can say, “I don’t want to work this week,” so I won’t take jobs and go take a vacation. But with the fees and extra costs, how am I going to save up to take a vacation?
Do I think about getting a regular job again? Constantly. But how would I? Work dried up during the holidays, so I started looking for something that would allow me to work from home. It was so difficult to find anything.
Most jobs also ask for references. But on these platforms, everybody I speak to works for another company, and I’m just a contractor. It kind of traps you. I can pull up the apps and say, “I’ve got five stars, and I was on time 98% of the time,” but there’s nowhere for that on an application.
Unless I’m lucky enough to sit in front of a person who’s hiring to explain my background, my application will be automatically eliminated. I really wish I would’ve thought about that 2 ½ years ago.
A spokesperson for ADP, which owns WorkMarket, told BI: “When a contractor leverages the WorkMarket platform, they are engaging with a business to complete an assignment for the business or the business’ end-client. When working with the end client, we recommend contractors note that they are completing the assignment on behalf of the business that engaged them, as that is who they are completing the work on behalf of.
“Contractors are welcome to reference the WorkMarket by ADP platform, however, WorkMarket does not employ the contractor and does not provide any directions to the contractor on the performance of the project. Our platform is used to connect the company offering the project with the worker that will complete it. The company’s end-client does not engage with WorkMarket, so referencing the platform may cause some confusion.”
The spokesperson also said that contractors and companies can rate each other on factors “including overall satisfaction, quality, professionalism, and communication, but WorkMarket does not have any involvement in making or using the rating.”
A spokesperson for Field Nation said: “The fee model is transparent, offering a variety of features and services that reduce the administrative burden that comes with being an independent contractor or business owner, namely finding clients and administrative overhead.”
Do you do gig work and have a story idea to share? Reach out to this reporter at abitter@insider.com
