What is a Contingent Worker?

What is a Contingent Worker?

Companies are continuously trying to maximize efficiencies and cut costs in order to increase profitability. With labour being one of the biggest expenses in business, it’s only natural that companies would start looking for innovative ways to get work done more efficiently at lower costs, which is how the contingent workforce was born.

What Is a Contingent Worker?

Contingent workers are defined as freelancers, independent contractors, consultants, or other outsourced and non-permanent workers who are hired on a per-project basis. They can work on site or remotely. However, they are not simply temp workers—this discounts the high-value nature and complexity of today’s contingent workforce. Contingent workers are highly skilled experts in their fields

These workers are hired to complete specified tasks under a statement of work (SOW) provision. Once the project is over, they leave, though they may be called back when another project arises. As such, they are not employees of a company and the business owner has no responsibility to provide continuous work on a permanent basis.

Contingent Worker versus Employee

Contingent workers are not salaried. They do not receive benefits. They are responsible for their own taxes as they work for themselves—not the company. Therefore, the company is not responsible for deducting federal and provincial taxes, CPP, or EI.

Contingent workers also have more control over their own work than employees of a company do. They aren’t told how to complete projects or when to work. The company’s focus is not on how the work is completed but rather on the results.

What is a labor pool?

The workforce or labour force is the labour pool in employment. It is generally used to describe those working for a single company or industry, but can also apply to a geographic region like a city, state, or country. Within a company, its value can be labelled as its "Workforce in Place". The workforce of a country includes both the employed and the unemployed (labour force). The labour force participation rate, LFPR (or economic activity rate, EAR), is the ratio between the labour force and the overall size of their cohort (national population of the same age range). The term generally excludes the employers or management, and can imply those involved in manual labour. It may also mean all those who are available for work.

Formal labour is any sort of employment that is structured and paid in a formal way.^[1] Unlike the informal sector of the economy, formal labour within a country contributes to that country's gross national product.Informal labour is labour that falls short of being a formal arrangement in law or in practice.^[3] It can be paid or unpaid and it is always unstructured and unregulated.^[4] Formal employment is more reliable than informal employment. Generally, the former yields higher income and greater benefits and securities for both men and women.

Informal labour

The contribution of informal labourers is immense. Informal labour is expanding globally, most significantly in developing countries. According to a study done by Jacques Charmes, in the year 2000 informal labour made up 57% of non-agricultural employment, 40% of urban employment, and 83% of the new jobs in Latin America. That same year, informal labour made up 78% of non-agricultural employment, 61% of urban employment, and 93% of the new jobs in Africa.^[articularly after an economic crisis, labourers tend to shift from the formal sector to the informal sector. This trend was seen after the Asian economic crisis which began in 1997.

Definition of contingent

Companies are continuously trying to maximize efficiencies and cut costs in order to increase profitability. With labour being one of the biggest expenses in business, it’s only natural that companies would start looking for innovative ways to get work done more efficiently at lower costs, which is how the contingent workforce was born.

What Is a Contingent Worker?

Contingent workers are defined as freelancers, independent contractors, consultants, or other outsourced and non-permanent workers who are hired on a per-project basis. They can work on site or remotely. However, they are not simply temp workers—this discounts the high-value nature and complexity of today’s contingent workforce. Contingent workers are highly skilled experts in their fields.

These workers are hired to complete specified tasks under a statement of work (SOW) provision. Once the project is over, they leave, though they may be called back when another project arises. As such, they are not employees of a company and the business owner has no responsibility to provide continuous work on a permanent basis.

Contingent Worker versus Employee

Contingent workers are not salaried. They do not receive benefits. They are responsible for their own taxes as they work for themselves—not the company. Therefore, the company is not responsible for deducting federal and provincial taxes, CPP, or EI.

Contingent workers also have more control over their own work than employees of a company do. They aren’t told how to complete projects or when to work. The company’s focus is not on how the work is completed but rather on the results.

What is the purpose of a contingent workforce?

A contingent workforce is a labor pool whose members are hired by an organization on an on-demand basis. A contingent workforce consists of freelancers, independent contractors and consultants who are not on the company's payroll because they are not full-time employees of the organization.

A contingent workforce is a labor pool whose members are hired by an organization on an on-demand basis. A contingent workforce consists of freelancers, independent contractors and consultants who are not on the company's payroll because they are not full-time employees of the organization. Organizations can hire a contingent worker directly or from a staffing agency. Such workers are usually added on an ad-hoc basis to a company's workforce and work either onsite or remotely. They generally receive fewer (if any) benefits and less pay than full-time workers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, and are less likely to be protected by labor and employment laws.

The contingent workforce is an important element of an organization's workforce strategy as it provides businesses with additional agility and flexibility. Over 40% of the U.S. workforce is now made up of contingent workers, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The rise of the gig economy is also fueling the growth of the contingent workforce.

Contingent workforce advantages

Cost savings is one of the major benefits for organizations that hire contingent workers. Organizations save on administrative costs associated with hiring and maintaining full-time employees. Companies hiring contingent workers do not have to make contributions to their Social Security, make unemployment contributions or pay payroll taxes. Organizations are also not required to offer contingent workers health insurance and provide them perks like paid time off.

Flexibility is another benefit of the contingent workforce. Organizations can hire contingent workers on an ad-hoc and on-demand basis, and then terminate their employment once the work requirement is met.

The contingent workforce also helps businesses offset a skills gap. Contingent workers provide businesses with a large pool of experienced candidates who are already equipped with the skills required to execute a project efficiently.

Advantages of a Contingent Workforce

Advantages of a Contingent Workforce

For business owners, the advantages of a contingent workforce are mostly financial. They do not have to collect and pay taxes from the workers’ pay cheques. They don’t have to offer health benefits, provide paid sick days and vacation days or pay for overtime. This not only saves them significant money associated with recruiting and hiring permanent employees, but it also allows them to save on administrative costs associated with payroll and human resources, too.

Another added benefit of the contingent workforce is increased flexibility. When an influx of work arises or a sudden urgent project comes up, a contingent worker can be hired to perform the extra work. But once business slows down again, the business owner is not stuck paying a salary for a worker that isn’t vital to the organization, which is especially important in a fragile economy. There is no need to lay off workers when you have a contingent workforce.

Access to expertise is another advantage. Business owners can find the skills and experience they need for a specific project in a contingent worker that they cannot find internally. Businesses get to access a growing pool of highly qualified talent to ensure that work gets completed properly.

Disadvantages of a Contingent Workforce

Virtually every business decision will also have its disadvantages. For hiring a contingent workforce, one of these drawbacks is lack of control on the end of the business owners. They cannot rely on contingent workers to be available during specific hours to handle business needs and they cannot manage how the work is done.

Furthermore, using a contingent workforce brings on a whole slew of tax risks. If a business owner declares someone an independent worker when in fact he should be classified as an employee, the company can be hit with fines and penalties on top of having to pay the taxes owing for that employee.

Part of a Sound Growth Strategy

Companies are increasingly beginning to reap the rewards of a contingent workforce by embracing an ever-increasing number of non-permanent workers as part of their growth strategies. But with the advantages come the disadvantages, and these risks must be managed. A workforce management solution can help. 

What is a contingent plan?

A contingency plan is a course of action designed to help an organization respond effectively to a significant future event or situation that may or may not happen. 

A contingency plan is sometimes referred to as "Plan B," because it can be also used as an alternative for action if expected results fail to materialize. Contingency planning is a component of business continuity, disaster recovery and risk management.

The seven-steps outlined for an IT contingency plan in the NIST 800-34 Rev. 1 publication are:

1. Develop the contingency planning policy statement. A formal policy provides the authority and guidance necessary to develop an effective contingency plan.

2. Conduct the business impact analysis (BIA). The BIA helps identify and prioritize information systems and components critical to supporting the organization’s mission/business functions.

3. Identify preventive controls. Measures taken to reduce the effects of system disruptions can increase system availability and reduce contingency life cycle costs.

4. Create contingency strategies. Thorough recovery strategies ensure that the system may be recovered quickly and effectively following a disruption.

5. Develop an information system contingency workers plan. The contingency plan should contain detailed guidance and procedures for restoring a damaged system unique to the system’s security impact level and recovery requirements.

6. Ensure plan testing, training and exercises. Testing validates recovery capabilities, whereas training prepares recovery personnel for plan activation and exercising the plan identifies planning gaps; combined, the activities improve plan effectiveness and overall organization preparedness.

7. Ensure plan maintenance. The plan should be a living document that is updated regularly to remain current with system enhancements and organizational changes.

What is WiFi How does it work?

Ah, good ‘ole WiFi. From helping us to keep our phone bill low (except March, goddammit) to allowing our laptops/tablets/etc. to connect to the internet, WiFi has been a ubiquitous companion that we’ve all come to know and love.

WiFi is also useful for some IoT applications (wait, what is IoT?), such as building and home automation or in-house energy management. For many other IoT applications, WiFi is absolutely useless.

Given the importance of WiFi to our everyday lives and to certain IoT applications, here are 8 interesting things about WiFi that you didn’t know!

1) WiFi Started in Hawaii

Or at least, the early precursor to WiFi did. ALOHAnet was a pioneering computer networking system, developed at the University of Hawaii, that provided the first public demonstration of a wireless packet data network.

That was in 1971. It wasn’t until 20 years later that NCR Corporation and AT&T Corporation invented WaveLAN, considered the true precursor to WiFi. Then, in 1997, the first version of the IEEE 802.11 wireless protocol was released.

“But wait”, you say, “what’s the IEEE 802.11 wireless protocol?”

2) WiFi = IEEE 802.11

When any two machines communicate to each other, they need certain standards and protocols defined to enable them to communicate. IEEE 802.11 refers to the set of standards that define communication for wireless local area networks (with IEEE standing for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

As you’ve probably already thought to yourself, “IEEE 802.11” is:

1. Super boring.
2.  A complete mouthful.

So in 1999, a brand-consulting firm called Interbrand was hired to help market the technology to consumers, giving us “Wi-Fi”.

Interbrand also created the WiFi logo, which represents Yin and Yang to signal interoperability of all WiFi-certified products.

So what does WiFi stand for anyways?

3) WiFi Does NOT Stand for “Wireless Fidelity”

Contrary to popular belief, WiFi doesn’t stand for Wireless Fidelity. This misconception comes from an early advertising slogan that was used, “The Standard for Wireless Fidelity”.

WiFi doesn’t actually stand for anything.

Also, according to the Wi-Fi Alliance (formed in 1999 as a trade association to hold the Wi-Fi trademark), the term is officially, “Wi-Fi”. The Wi-Fi Alliance doesn’t approve of “WiFi”, “Wifi”, or “wifi”.

But I prefer WiFi, so I’m going to keep using it throughout this article. I know I know, I'm quite the bad boy. Your move, WiFi Alliance.

Ok so now you know all the background of WiFi, but how does WiFi work?

4) WiFi Uses Radio Waves

As you may remember from science class way back in the day, radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation includes everything from gamma rays to visible light to radio waves.

Your laptop/tablet/etc. uses a wireless adapter to translate data into a radio signal and transmit that signal using an antenna. Those radio waves emanate outwards from the antenna and are received by your wireless router. That wireless router then converts the radio waves back into data and then sends that data to the Internet using a physical connection. To get data from the Internet to you laptop/tablet/etc., just reverse the process.

At a high level this is how all wireless communication works. However, WiFi has a few notable differences from other wireless technologies. For example…

5) WiFi Transmits at Frequencies of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz

These frequencies are much higher than the frequencies uses for cellular transmission. Higher frequency means that signals can carry more data.

However, all forms of wireless communication represent a tradeoff between power consumption, range, and bandwidth. So in exchange for high data rates, WiFI consumes a lot of power and doesn’t have a lot of range.

“Huh”, you think to yourself, “I thought I heard that…”

6) WiFi Can Transmit Up to 260 Miles!

It’s true, the Swedish Space Agency transferred data 260 miles to an overhead stratospheric balloon using WiFi. But this was with non-standard WiFi equipment and 6 watt amplifiers. And, of course, no physical barriers in the way to stop the signal.

For your average WiFi router, ranges are much, much shorter and depend on a number of factors. Range can depend on the antenna, reflection and refraction, and radio power output.

A range of about 100ft is common, so why can't you get a signal when you're standing in the next room?

It might be a physical barrier. Radio waves pass through most kinds of materials, but can be blocked or absorbed by materials that conduct electricity. Water conducts electricity, meaning that our bodies can actually interfere with WiFi. But don't be alarmed, radio waves don't cause cellular damage.

It might also be interference. Since WiFi uses radio waves (and there are many, many sources of radio waves, including space), these waves can collide with each other and interfere with the signal. In fact, your microwave operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band which means that it can interfere with your WiFi, depending on which type of WiFi you have (2.4 GHz or 5 GHz).

What is a simple definition of a network?

Computer Network Types

A computer network is a group of computers linked to each other that enables the computer to communicate with another computer and share their resources, data, and applications.

A computer network can be categorized by their size. A computer network is mainly of four types:

• LAN(Local Area Network)
• PAN(Personal Area Network)
• MAN(Metropolitan Area Network)
• WAN(Wide Area Network)

LAN(Local Area Network)

• Local Area Network is a group of computers connected to each other in a small area such as building, office.
• LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a communication medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.
• It is less costly as it is built with inexpensive hardware such as hubs, network adapters, and ethernet cables.
• The data is transferred at an extremely faster rate in Local Area Network.
• Local Area Network provides higher security.

• PAN(Personal Area Network)

  • Personal Area Network is a network arranged within an individual person, typically within a range of 10 meters.
  • Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal use is known as Personal Area Network.
  • Thomas Zimmerman was the first research scientist to bring the idea of the Personal Area Network.
  • Personal Area Network covers an area of 30 feet.
  • Personal computer devices that are used to develop the personal area network are the laptop, mobile phones, media player and play stations.

How Does a Router Work? A Simple Explanation

Routers are an important piece of technology that most of us have in our homes, but many of us don’t really understand them. In fact, most people don’t even realize what a router technically is and how it’s different from a modem.

Luckily, we are here to demystify the basic functions of a router so that you can get a better understanding of your network devices.

To put it simply, a router connects devices within a network by forwarding data packets between them. This data can be sent between devices, or from devices to the internet. The router does this by assigning a local IP address to each of the devices on the network. This ensures that the data packets end up in the right place, rather than getting lost within the network.

Imagine this data as a courier package—it needs a delivery address so that it ends up at the right recipient. Your local computer network is like a suburban road—just knowing this location within the world at large (i.e. the World Wide Web) isn’t enough.

To put it simply, a router connects devices within a network by forwarding data packets between them. This data can be sent between devices, or from devices to the internet. The router does this by assigning a local IP address to each of the devices on the network.https://www.fieldengineer.com/blogs/what-is-wireless-lan

Do you have to have Internet to have WiFi?

You buy a wireless router and power it up. By default, most home wireless routers are manufactured with WiFi enabled.

The WiFi network name (SSID) and pass phrase should either be on the router’s label or in the user guide.

There should also be a password that will allow you to log on to the router’s settings and change them, including changing the WiFi name and encryption details. Changing WiFi settings is best done from a PC connected by Ethernet. If you change WiFi settings over a WiFi connection and make a mistake, you may not be able to use the WiFi until the error is corrected.

The ports on the router that normally provide the connection to the Internet are left unused.

Wi-Fi is just a wireless network connection, Internet is not required to set up a Wi-Fi LAN, so yes, you can get Wi-Fi without Internet

The only device you need is a Wireless Access Point (WAP)

First, you need to set up the WAP with an SSID (network name) and maybe security (Like WPA), WAPs come with a preset SSID, so if you’re fine with the name it comes with, you can probably skip that step

From there, you just need to connect to it, go into your network settings and set a static IP

So for device one, you would type something like this

IP: 192.168.1.1

Netmask: 255.255.255.0

For device 2, you would type something like this

IP: 192.168.1.2

How do I enable WLAN?

Go to the Start Menu and select Control Panel. Click the Network and Internet category and then select Networking and Sharing Center. From the options on the left-hand side, select Change adapter settings. Right-click on the icon for Wireless Connection and click enable.
WiFi provides wireless, speedy connection to internet in a particular area. Wireless Broadband is also a wireless connection to the internet but for vast area. ... Wireless Broadband: it's a wireless network which gives access to internet over a wide area. Move on to the difference now!

o prevent unauthorized parties from logging in to the router without permission or viewing information sent over the local area network, businesses can secure their access points with Wi-Fi Protected Access. WPA, and its successor, WPA2, password-protect the LAN so only those with the appropriate credentials can log in, and they also use advanced encryption standard or temporal key integrity protocol to "scramble," or encrypt, network traffic. You must know the wireless security settings to connect new devices to the access point.

1. 

Sign on to a workstation that is already connected to the network.

2. 

Press the "Windows" key in Metro, or click the "Desktop" tile. Select the network connection icon from the notification area on the taskbar.

3. 

Right-click your network, and select "View Connection Properties" from the context menu.

4. 

Review the Security Type and Encryption Type fields to see which security protocol and encryption method the network uses to secure communication.

5. 

Select "Show Characters" to display the password in the Network Security Key field.

What is WLAN and how it works?

It is a pretty broad question and I am assuming we are talking about WiFi (the most common WLAN technology). So, in pretty high level terms =

There is a WiFi access point. This consists of a radio transmitter / receiver that is connected to an ethernet switch - usually there is a router attached to that switch also - and frequently that router is connected to the internet.

There is a WiFi interface on the ‘user device’ (laptop, phone, etc). This consists of an radio transmitter / receiver that is connected to an ethernet switch inside the device which is connected to the TCP/IP stack on the ‘user device’.

So … there is a protocol between the two radios for connecting them to one another … usually this starts with the Access Point broadcasting its presence, and the User Device selecting it to connect. Once the User does this, the protocol goes through several more steps for establishing & maintaining the connection. This is where any authentication & encryption might occur.

Once the connection is established, it appears to the ethernet switches on either end that they are connected to each other (which they are via the radio connection).

Everything after this is pretty much like normal Local Area Network / Ethernet / IP operations.A WLAN is a wireless computer network that links two or more devices using wireless communication. WLAN uses high frequency radio waves to form a local area network within a limited area. It allows users to access wider internet, while maintaining network connection. They are easy to install and use.WLAN transmit data from one point to other, by using nodes and access points.

An access point is station or a device or a router, through which data is transmitted and received. These APshelps in connectingusers within the network or multiple users linked to this AP or helps in interconnecting WLAN and wired network.

Nodes are connectionpoints that receive, create, store or send data along the distributed network routes. These have capability for transmitting data to other network nodes.

Highly efficient and advanced WLAN devices and solutions developed by Cisco Meraki are provided by Cisco Meraki partners in India

Two Types of Local Area Networks

There are two types of LANs: client/server LANs and peer-to-peer LANs.

Client/Server LANs consist of several devices (the clients) connected to a central server. The server manages file storage, printer access, and network traffic. A client can be a personal computer, tablet, or other devices that run applications. The clients connect to the server either with cables or through a wireless connection.Peer-to-Peer LANs don’t have a central server and cannot handle heavy workloads like a client/server LAN. On a peer-to-peer LAN, each personal computer and device share equally in running the network. The devices share resources and data through a wired or wireless connection to a router. Most home networks are peer-to-peer.

How to Use a LAN in the Home

A home LAN is a great way to create a connection between every device in your home including PCs, laptops, tablets, smartphones, printers, fax machines, and gaming devices. When your devices are connected to your Wi-Fi, you can share files privately with family members, print wirelessly from any device, and access data on other connected devices.

A home LAN can also be expanded to include home security systems, smart TVs, home environment controls, and smart kitchen devices. When these systems are added to the LAN, every system can be controlled from any device and location in the home.

If you have Wi-Fi internet in your home, you’re ready to set up a wireless home LAN network.

Service-level agreements

Service-level agreements I managed service providers

An MSP often provides its service offering under a service-level agreement, a contractual arrangement between the MSP and its customer that spells out the performance and quality metrics that will govern the relationship.

An SLA may be linked to an MSP's pricing formula. For example, an MSP may offer a range of SLAs to customers, with the customer paying a higher fee for higher levels of service in a tiered pricing structure.

Challenges of managed service providers

Regardless of pricing model, a key challenge for MSP business management is to set pricing low enough to entice customers to buy their services but high enough to maintain an adequate profit margin.

In addition to pricing, MSPs pay close attention to operating costs and the cost of maintaining skilled employees. Labor is typically an MSP's greatest expense. To keep labor costs in check and improve efficiency, most MSPs employ remote monitoring and management (RMM) software to keep tabs on clients' IT functions. RMM software lets MSPs remotely troubleshoot and remediate issues with servers and endpoint devices. With RMM, MSPs can manage numerous customers' IT systems simultaneously. MSPs may also use automated scripts to handle routine systems administration functions, such as checking hard disks for errors, without human intervention.

Another challenge MSPs face is the mainstream adoption of cloud computing. As more of their customers' IT infrastructure components migrate to the cloud, MSPs have had to find ways to manage hybrid cloud environments. MSPs also seek to provide their own cloud computing services or resell other cloud providers' capabilities, with cloud-based backup and disaster recovery (DR) a common entry point.

In addition, just becoming an MSP can prove challenging. The prospect of MRR has attracted many traditional solutions provider companies, such as VARs, to the MSP business model. However, would-be MSPs have struggled to establish themselves in the market. The MSP line of business calls for companies to adopt different performance metrics, technology infrastructure components and sales compensation programs, to name a few challenges. As a result, many MSPs derive revenue from business lines other than managed services, such as IT project work, break/fix business and on-site support. Pure-play MSPs are relatively rare in the IT services industry.

What MSPs are used for

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are typical MSP customers. Many smaller companies have limited in-house IT capabilities, so they may view an MSP's service offering as a way to obtain IT expertise. Larger enterprises may also contract with MSPs, however. For example, government agencies, facing budget pressure and hiring limitations, may contract with an MSP to supplement in-house IT staff.

What are different types of servers?

Different servers do different jobs, from serving email and video to protecting internal networks and hosting Web sites. Learn about the many types of servers used today.

Servers are often dedicated, meaning that they perform no other tasks besides their server tasks.  Different servers do different jobs, from serving email and video to protecting internal networks and hosting Web sites.

Server Types

This list categorizes the many different types of servers used in the marketplace today. 

Proxy Server

A proxy server sits between a client program (typically a Web browser) and an external server (typically another server on the Web) to filter requests, improve performance, and share connections.

Mail Server

Almost as ubiquitous and crucial as Web servers, mail servers move and store mail over corporate networks (via LANs and WANs) and across the Internet.

Server Platforms

A term often used synonymously with operating system, a platform is the underlying hardware or software for a system and is thus the engine that drives the server.

Web Server

At its core, a Web server serves static content to a Web browser by loading a file from a disk and serving it across the network to a user's Web browser. This entire exchange is mediated by the browser and server talking to each other using HTTP.

Application Server

Sometimes referred to as a type of middleware, application servers occupy a large chunk of computing territory between database servers and the end user, and they often connect the two.

Real-Time Communication Server

Real-time communication servers, formerly known as chat servers or IRC Servers, and still sometimes referred to as instant messaging (IM) servers, enable large numbers users to exchange information near instantaneously.

FTP Server

One of the oldest of the Internet services, File Transfer Protocol makes it possible to move one or more files securely between computers while providing file security and organization as well as transfer control.

Collaboration Server

In many ways, collaboration software, once called 'groupware,' demonstrates the original power of the Web. Collaboration software designed to enable users to collaborate, regardless of location, via the Internet or a corporate intranet and to work together in a virtual atmosphere.

List Server

List servers offer a way to better manage mailing lists, whether they be interactive discussions open to the public or one-way lists that deliver announcements, newsletters or advertising.

Telnet Server

A Telnet server enables users to log on to a host computer and perform tasks as if they're working on the remote computer itself. 

Open Source Server

From your underlying open source server operating system to the server software that help you get your job done, open source software is a critical part of many IT infrastructures.

Virtual Server

In 2009, the number of virtual servers deployed exceeded the number of physical servers. Today, server virtualization has become near ubiquitous in the data center.