Temporary or Permanent Job In Kenya? Know The Pros & Cons

Would you rather be on a long or short-term contract? Many people eagerly look forward to opportunities for permanent and pensionable contracts. As we grew up, we watched our parents hang on to jobs which they held long before we were born up to their retirement. While approaching retirement, we all looked forward to the great cash that would flow into the homesteads once the perks were paid. Most of us envied this and longed for such experiences.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), we find ourselves living in a completely different an era where long-term contracts are getting more and more scarce. Employers, including those who were traditionally regarded as long-term employers such as the government, are increasingly opting for shorter contracts where employees are contracted for a specified period of time with clear targets to be met.

Short-term contracts have great advantages for the employees if taken seriously. The fact that they offer specific timeframes within which certain tasks have to be done helps the employees work hard towards meeting the targets. In most of the contracts, consideration for an extension is usually dependent on performance hence you can only have the contract renewed through hard and smart work. This is a great motivator for excellence at work that should be taken advantage of.

In most instances, companies which employ on short contracts offer relatively higher remuneration packages. This is bearing in mind that the salaries are usually negotiated on an annual basis depending on the available project. In this case, an employee is able to negotiate for a relatively higher pay with either the same employer or a different one depending on the value they attach to their skills and experience and the nature of the work.

The other great advantage of short contracts is the exposure they provide the employee. In most cases they are exposed to different work environments in terms of professional engagements and geographical coverage. This is critical in building multi-skilled employees who are able to fit in a variety of environments. For the discerning employee, this variation can be helpful in determining their long-term careers.

Short contracts, however, have several challenges with the main one being the uncertainty of the jobs. Since they are contracted for a period of either one or two years, the employee is perpetually pushed to the edge of anxiety at the end of every contract period. In most cases, short-term contract staff start looking for another job almost six months before the expiry of their current contract, giving them little time to offer undivided attention to their jobs.

This uncertainty could end up affecting not only their work but their families too as they continually have to keep planning for housing, school and active participation in social assemblies like religious institutions.

For those experiencing this uncertainty, it is advisable to commit to certain principles in life so that you have your career revolve around it. If you open your life so wide that you can be swayed anywhere by any job, you for sure will find yourself living a life without structure and foundation. You will find it difficult to develop long-term friendships and associations since you are never sure of your next posting.

Many employers who have staff on short-term contracts do not have provisions for most of the retirement benefits. In most cases, especially among the NGOs, many employees leave only with the last salary at the end of their contracts.

Since this is a predictable eventuality, it is helpful for the employee to consider putting money in a personal pension scheme which is not dependent on their employer.


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