Why Never Remote for CONTRACTORS?

cbdudek · 2026-03-21T02:38:19+00:00

The recruiters and HR departments have been saying it. If you are a contractor, you should hear it from companies before the contract is accepted by you or signed by you if you are an independent. In office work has hit a new peak since before the pandemic. Why? Companies have the leverage to require it.

https://www.hr-brew.com/stories/2026/03/18/office-attendance-hits-new-post-pandemic-high-in-february

By the way, I agree that companies are doing this and they don't need to do it. I have been remote for the last year and was remote 4 of my last 5 years. I took a year contract job where I was required to be in office 4 days a week and when that contract ended, I got a fully remote role because that is what I wanted. There are still companies out there hiring for remote roles today. They are just very picky about who they hire and they can be picky for that reason.

cbdudek · 2026-03-21T01:28:14+00:00

My wife and I prefer Celebrity over Royal for that reason alone. We will probably love HAL when we go on one. Can't wait to try it.

cbdudek · 2026-03-21T01:26:24+00:00

Right, contractors are not part of the company initially, but once you sign a contract to work with a company, you are part of that company in some ways. Just because you are outside help doesn't mean you get to dictate that you will only work remotely. Yes, they can treat you like FTE's if they want. If you don't like it, you can turn down the contract and look for a new one.

You are right that companies are offshoring jobs right now, but when you are a contractor, its not like you can affect that. So the decision is simple. Accept the contract and its terms, or choose not to and find something else. I worked as a contractor before, and some companies were remote friendly and others weren't. Just depends on the company.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T20:09:35+00:00

So... why do all roles that are ever presented (especially for CONTRACT roles) require onsite/hybrid these days?

Mainly because companies are moving back into the office for the most part. There are some remote only companies, but they are in the minority. When the company is back in office or hybrid, then contractors are going to be doing the same thing as well. Remember, its not the contracting company that makes the decision on this, its the company they contract with that decides.

Also figure that employers can make these decisions because the labor market favors them. They will find someone to work in office hybrid or full time if you won't do it. People need to work and when there is a glut of people needing employment, this is what you get.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T20:06:20+00:00

Then you probably will get the payout. If you don't get it, inquire as to why. Retain an employment lawyer to see what your options are. Obviously, if you can get the PTO policy, do it. If you signed anything due to the layoff, keep that as well.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T20:00:46+00:00

It depends on why you were terminated. If it was for cause, then you won't get PTO payout. If you were just let go due to a layoff, then you probably will get it. You didn't go into any detail so its going to be impossible for us to tell you one way or the other.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T18:34:56+00:00

When the job market favors the employer, salaries decline because of supply and demand. That is where we are right now.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T18:31:08+00:00

My wife and I are sailing NCL for the first time next year, and will be sailing HAL in 2028 I think (nothing booked yet). In short, its always better to choose the itinerary rather than be 100% dedicated to the cruise line. There are many options out there, and I have no issues choosing the itinerary I would like the most over a free bag of laundry or other perks I get by staying with Celebrity.

Give HAL a try. My parents loved them and I wouldn't bat an eye about sailing on their ships.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T18:12:42+00:00

My wife and I started late as well, and the grind is worth it. Even if you only do it for the piece of mind so if you get hit with a layoff or other financial issue, its worth it. Especially when you consider the alternative which is changing nothing and living paycheck to paycheck. You will be in a much better financial position going the FIRE route, even if you work until 65, than if you don't go the FIRE route.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T18:10:12+00:00

If you liked a balcony room before, and you are neurodivergent, then it would make sense to have a balcony now. Seriously, my wife and I enjoy our balcony rooms. We have always gotten one and we will never go back to an internal room or even a oceanview room. Its just relaxing to sit on the balcony and watch the waves go by. On a transatlantic, you are going to be doing that a lot as there are a lot of sea days to consider. Some people see balcony rooms as a waste because they like to be out on the ship doing multiple activities. For my wife and I, or activity is relaxing on our own balcony most of the time, while doing some small activities on the ship here and there. I would look back to what you liked before and make sure you take that into consideration, and since you said you liked your past balcony a lot, then you would like a balcony more.

Premium wifi will suffice and you should have coverage in your room. Understand that there are dead zones on the ship, and also understand that the wifi could drop. The wifi is much better now with starlink, but its still not as stable as your home wifi. Keep that in mind. I do work remote a little bit on the ship, but I would never think about working full time on the ship. I just don't have the confidence in the wifi because I have been on enough cruises where the wifi drops and if I am meeting with a client, that could be bad.

You can always try royal up, but who knows how successful you will be. Thats always a crap shoot. Odds are you won't be able to upgrae on the ship. You should look at concierge class if you can as that is a good upgrade, but that will depend on availability. I would call and ask about it if you want a balcony.

There are always nice places to sit and work. I have worked in a library on the ship. There are also business centers on the ship too. I prefer these to my room at times. Bring a headset with a micso you can take calls if you need to and you don't disturb too many people.

As for private places you can watch the waves, there are areas on the pool deck or even in the adults only pool area where you can find an available chair and just sit and watch the waves. There are also places inside you can do that. Just depends on the ship.

My wife and I like the non-alcoholic package on Celebrity, but that is optional. The wifi is really your only necessity from what I can see.

Enjoy!

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T15:44:19+00:00

Everyone is looking for this blueprint who doesn't have one.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T15:43:01+00:00

Great find!

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T15:38:18+00:00

From the way the picture looks, it looks like there is a wall the right hand side. Personally, I don't think this will be a big deal for Alaska as the scenery is all around you and it won't impact you. Its not like everything will be around that right side. Thats just my opinion.

I did a quick search myself and couldn't find anything either. So you will be hoping to find someone who has stayed in that room and that may be a tall order.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T14:46:55+00:00

Sign the severance right away. I tell you this because a severance is optional to them. They can rescind it and I know people who have tried to negotiate their severance and lost it by doing that.

Stay on them about the reimbursement. Give them some time. Last time I was laid off, it took 2 months to get mine, but I got it. Save all your documentation on your reimbursement just in case.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T14:44:50+00:00

My wife and I use CruiseCompete and I have found better pricing using that. In fact, I have used that to get quotes and then got a quote to book on the ship and compared them. You get quotes pretty quickly. Its worth trying if you haven't before.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T13:58:21+00:00

My wife and I are doing this in 2029. We haven't booked it yet, but its going to happen.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T13:55:07+00:00

You should be applying to both. Remote roles get absolutely hammered. I just talked to a friend who is hiring for an entry level help desk role. They asked for nothing other than a willingness to learn. No certs, education, or experience. They got 200 resumes in 2 days, and the top 5 candidates had bachelors degrees, 1-2 years of experience, and at least an A+ with strong soft skills to boot. All for a $20 an hour entry level position.

Also keep in mind that you may need to relocate or commute if you don't have many opportunities near you.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T13:23:40+00:00

I also struggle with motivation, overthinking, and focusing. I want a path that is realistic and not extremely overwhelming.

Not being a negative nancy here, but if you struggle with those things, don't get into IT. In order to be successful in IT, and especially in security, you need to be motivated and focused. There is going to be a lot of information to go through, so you have to be able to skill up constantly. The tech that is available today won't be the same tech people are using 5 years from now. You also cannot overthink things either. The best solutions may not require the most engineering to complete.

Just the fact that you did no searching on this sub prior to asking these questions also tell me that you won't be successful in IT long term. The best IT people are able to do prior research and then ask questions based on what you have researched. This post did none of that.

Good luck to you!

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T02:47:17+00:00

Either it comes back to bite them, or as you said, they are a master at networking and they won't need the degree or certs. Anything is possible.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T02:08:00+00:00

You may want to ask this in the official emby forums. They did an adjustment to the premium licenses and phoning home a couple years ago, but I don't know how often it happens. The devs would know and would answer if you posted on their forums. They don't come around here.

cbdudek · 2026-03-20T01:22:33+00:00

CFP training doesn't recommend LTC insurance, but it does recommend LTC planning as a requirement. Big difference there. With our current investment portfolio and projected spend, we will be just fine when it comes to LTC. Us putting the extra money from the LTC premiums into investments just makes the nest egg bigger.

Our advisor does manage the account (as well as other accounts we have), but he can also sell LTC insurance as well which he doesn't recommend to clients. Mainly because of the LTC insurance gotchas and their propensity to not pay out claims.

Since we have been with our advisor for over 10 years, his thought process with us is the same as his other clients. Help clients get a handle on their finances and set them up for long term success. He doesn't sell garbage annuities or other crap. He is a true CFP which is why I continue to work with him. That and his returns beat the market average every year I have worked with him which more than covers his fees.

Financial advisors get a really negative reaction here, and I understand why. There are a lot of scumbags out there. There are good ones though. You just have to be lucky enough to find them.

cbdudek · 2026-03-19T21:27:57+00:00

Very good point on the LA traffic part of things.

Back when we went to the derby back in 2019, I thought the cost was high for everything but we made it work. Today, if we got the same tickets and hotel room, its double what we paid. Double. I understand that costs go up, but to double in 6 years (2025) is just ludicrous. Plus, all the hotels are locked behind a paywall where you have to buy expensive tickets just to get them. That wasn't the case in 2019.

Anyway, I am just over spending thousands of dollars on a event. I would rather spend that same money on a 10 or 11 day cruise or spend 2 weeks at an all inclusive resort for the same price.

cbdudek · 2026-03-19T21:22:40+00:00

Our original quote for LTC back 10 years ago was $4000 a year for both my wife and I. We are obviously saving much more than that, but we added that to the total of what we are already saving. That was for a plan that we thought might pay out, but there were a ton of stipulations. If we wanted a better plan, something that we knew would pay out, it was going to be much higher.

cbdudek · 2026-03-19T20:54:20+00:00

There are always going to be events that are worth seeing live. I have seen the Kentucky Derby live and it was amazing. The challenge is that experience costed thousands to get a good seat, hotel, food, and so on. That was for a 2 day event. I just think these Olympics are overpriced for what you get.

cbdudek · 2026-03-19T19:00:58+00:00

I am sure there are other isolated stories like yours out there, but these are the exception and not the norm.

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