Help! I'm a permanent temp

A FRIEND of mine recently got promoted after working in her company for about a year and a half. She received top grades for her performance appraisal, so there was no question about her ability. But what she found puzzling was that many of her peers - many of whom have been there for a much longer time - did not.

She later found out that three-quarters of the fellow executives in her department were actually contract workers, who get their contracts renewed yearly. Most have been stagnant for many years, never moving up the ranks or converted to full-time.

"I felt a bit awkward when they congratulated me on my promotion although I know it's not my fault," she confessed.

Another person I know has a prestigious job in a bank - but also as a contract staff. She had joined in the hopes of being converted to a full-time position, but it has not worked out. After two years, her contract was extended again for the third time. As a contract staff, she was missing out on generous bank bonuses as well as other benefits. She is now weighing her options…