u/Low_Method_7613

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to explain my situation as objectively as possible. I'm at a point where I genuinely don't know what the smartest next step is, and I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar situation.

For the past few years I've been in a situation that's been bothering me more and more.

A few years ago I was looking for a new challenge and joined a small construction company. What attracted me was that I wouldn't be stuck doing just one thing. I'd have the opportunity to take on different responsibilities and help the company grow.

At the time, they had very few employees on payroll, and they asked if I'd be willing to work with them as a freelancer through my own company instead of becoming an employee.

After doing quite a bit of research, I decided to go for it. The flexibility appealed to me: more freedom over my compensation, company car, pension, investments, working hours... it all seemed like a great opportunity.

Over the years, though, the reality slowly changed.

Instead of working independently, I now spend almost every day in their office and have effectively been working full-time for the same client for years. The owner likes to be involved in almost everything, so there's quite a bit of micromanagement as well.

Recently they consulted a lawyer about the risk of false self-employment (I'm based in Belgium, where this is a legal issue). Their conclusion was that they'd rather eliminate that risk altogether and hire me as a regular employee.

I understand why they reached that conclusion. At the same time, I feel like part of that risk could probably be reduced by changing the way we work together. The problem is that, given the company's management style, I'm not convinced that's realistic.

They've now asked me to come up with my own proposal for an employment contract.

And that's where I'm stuck.

On one hand, I obviously don't want to take a significant financial step backwards.

On the other hand... I'm honestly not even sure I want to become an employee here anymore.

The employment status isn't really the biggest issue.

Lately I've noticed my motivation slowly fading. I don't always feel that my effort and responsibilities are fully appreciated. On top of that, the company can be quite chaotic, priorities change frequently, and there's often very little structure. It's becoming harder and harder to stay motivated, especially because I don't see that changing anytime soon.

So why have I stayed?

The people are great. I enjoy my colleagues. Financially, freelancing has worked out well for me.

There's also a practical side to it. My partner and I recently bought a house, and my freelance income was an important part of qualifying for the mortgage. That makes it difficult to simply accept a significant drop in income.

But if I'm completely honest with myself, I sometimes feel like I've stayed in a comfortable situation for too long.

Financially it was probably the right decision, but professionally I feel like I've developed less than I could have. That's something that's been bothering me more and more.

Maybe that's my biggest frustration.

This isn't really about money anymore.

Over the past few years I've taken on a lot of responsibility and learned a great deal, but I also feel like my professional growth has stalled. I miss the feeling of learning, improving and challenging myself.

Ironically, this whole discussion about my employment status has forced me to take a hard look at my career, and I've realized I probably haven't been in the right place for quite some time.

One thing I'm certain about is that I don't want to leave the construction industry.

What I'd really like is to move into a more advisory, analytical or strategic role—something related to cost consulting, project advisory, or a similar field. The problem is that I feel I don't yet have enough experience to jump straight into that type of role as a freelancer.

Right now I see three possible paths:

1. Negotiate the best employment package I can, stay for a while, and use that time to figure out what I really want.

2. Look for a similar freelance contract elsewhere, although the market doesn't seem particularly easy at the moment.

3. Intentionally switch to a different role within the construction industry, gain experience there, and potentially return to freelancing later.

A bit about me.

I'm in my mid-thirties from Belgium, and I'm probably my own biggest critic. Friends and colleagues often tell me I underestimate myself and that I'm too much of a perfectionist. They may be right.

Still, I find it difficult to deliberately take a step back in order to hopefully take two steps forward later. Part of me feels like I should already be further along professionally than I am today.

So I'm curious how others would approach this.

• Has anyone here been in a similar situation?
• Would you negotiate an employment contract or start looking elsewhere?
• How realistic is it to find a new freelance client in today's market?
• Would you intentionally take a step back to build experience in a role that better fits your long-term goals?

I'd really appreciate any thoughts or experiences. I think what I'm looking for most is an objective perspective from people who aren't emotionally involved.

PS: I've posted this in a couple of relevant communities to gather different perspectives, so if you've seen it elsewhere, that's why.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to explain my situation as objectively as possible. I'm at a point where I genuinely don't know what the smartest next step is, and I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar situation.

For the past few years I've been in a situation that's been bothering me more and more.

A few years ago I was looking for a new challenge and joined a small construction company. What attracted me was that I wouldn't be stuck doing just one thing. I'd have the opportunity to take on different responsibilities and help the company grow.

At the time, they had very few employees on payroll, and they asked if I'd be willing to work with them as a freelancer through my own company instead of becoming an employee.

After doing quite a bit of research, I decided to go for it. The flexibility appealed to me: more freedom over my compensation, company car, pension, investments, working hours... it all seemed like a great opportunity.

Over the years, though, the reality slowly changed.

Instead of working independently, I now spend almost every day in their office and have effectively been working full-time for the same client for years. The owner likes to be involved in almost everything, so there's quite a bit of micromanagement as well.

Recently they consulted a lawyer about the risk of false self-employment (I'm based in Belgium, where this is a legal issue). Their conclusion was that they'd rather eliminate that risk altogether and hire me as a regular employee.

I understand why they reached that conclusion. At the same time, I feel like part of that risk could probably be reduced by changing the way we work together. The problem is that, given the company's management style, I'm not convinced that's realistic.

They've now asked me to come up with my own proposal for an employment contract.

And that's where I'm stuck.

On one hand, I obviously don't want to take a significant financial step backwards.

On the other hand... I'm honestly not even sure I want to become an employee here anymore.

The employment status isn't really the biggest issue.

Lately I've noticed my motivation slowly fading. I don't always feel that my effort and responsibilities are fully appreciated. On top of that, the company can be quite chaotic, priorities change frequently, and there's often very little structure. It's becoming harder and harder to stay motivated, especially because I don't see that changing anytime soon.

So why have I stayed?

The people are great. I enjoy my colleagues. Financially, freelancing has worked out well for me.

There's also a practical side to it. My partner and I recently bought a house, and my freelance income was an important part of qualifying for the mortgage. That makes it difficult to simply accept a significant drop in income.

But if I'm completely honest with myself, I sometimes feel like I've stayed in a comfortable situation for too long.

Financially it was probably the right decision, but professionally I feel like I've developed less than I could have. That's something that's been bothering me more and more.

Maybe that's my biggest frustration.

This isn't really about money anymore.

Over the past few years I've taken on a lot of responsibility and learned a great deal, but I also feel like my professional growth has stalled. I miss the feeling of learning, improving and challenging myself.

Ironically, this whole discussion about my employment status has forced me to take a hard look at my career, and I've realized I probably haven't been in the right place for quite some time.

One thing I'm certain about is that I don't want to leave the construction industry.

What I'd really like is to move into a more advisory, analytical or strategic role—something related to cost consulting, project advisory, or a similar field. The problem is that I feel I don't yet have enough experience to jump straight into that type of role as a freelancer.

Right now I see three possible paths:

1. Negotiate the best employment package I can, stay for a while, and use that time to figure out what I really want.

2. Look for a similar freelance contract elsewhere, although the market doesn't seem particularly easy at the moment.

3. Intentionally switch to a different role within the construction industry, gain experience there, and potentially return to freelancing later.

A bit about me.

I'm in my mid-thirties, and I'm probably my own biggest critic. Friends and colleagues often tell me I underestimate myself and that I'm too much of a perfectionist. They may be right.

Still, I find it difficult to deliberately take a step back in order to hopefully take two steps forward later. Part of me feels like I should already be further along professionally than I am today.

So I'm curious how others would approach this.

• Has anyone here been in a similar situation?
• Would you negotiate an employment contract or start looking elsewhere?
• How realistic is it to find a new freelance client in today's market?
• Would you intentionally take a step back to build experience in a role that better fits your long-term goals?

I'd really appreciate any thoughts or experiences. I think what I'm looking for most is an objective perspective from people who aren't emotionally involved.

PS: I've posted this in a couple of relevant communities to gather different perspectives, so if you've seen it elsewhere, that's why.

Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to explain my situation as objectively as possible. I'm at a point where I genuinely don't know what the smartest next step is, and I'd really appreciate hearing from people who've been in a similar situation.

For the past few years I've been in a situation that's been bothering me more and more.

A few years ago I was looking for a new challenge and joined a small construction company. What attracted me was that I wouldn't be stuck doing just one thing. I'd have the opportunity to take on different responsibilities and help the company grow.

At the time, they had very few employees on payroll, and they asked if I'd be willing to work with them as a freelancer through my own company instead of becoming an employee.

After doing quite a bit of research, I decided to go for it. The flexibility appealed to me: more freedom over my compensation, company car, pension, investments, working hours... it all seemed like a great opportunity.

Over the years, though, the reality slowly changed.

Instead of working independently, I now spend almost every day in their office and have effectively been working full-time for the same client for years. The owner likes to be involved in almost everything, so there's quite a bit of micromanagement as well.

Recently they consulted a lawyer about the risk of false self-employment (I'm based in Belgium, where this is a legal issue). Their conclusion was that they'd rather eliminate that risk altogether and hire me as a regular employee.

I understand why they reached that conclusion. At the same time, I feel like part of that risk could probably be reduced by changing the way we work together. The problem is that, given the company's management style, I'm not convinced that's realistic.

They've now asked me to come up with my own proposal for an employment contract.

And that's where I'm stuck.

On one hand, I obviously don't want to take a significant financial step backwards.

On the other hand... I'm honestly not even sure I want to become an employee here anymore.

The employment status isn't really the biggest issue.

Lately I've noticed my motivation slowly fading. I don't always feel that my effort and responsibilities are fully appreciated. On top of that, the company can be quite chaotic, priorities change frequently, and there's often very little structure. It's becoming harder and harder to stay motivated, especially because I don't see that changing anytime soon.

So why have I stayed?

The people are great. I enjoy my colleagues. Financially, freelancing has worked out well for me.

There's also a practical side to it. My partner and I recently bought a house, and my freelance income was an important part of qualifying for the mortgage. That makes it difficult to simply accept a significant drop in income.

But if I'm completely honest with myself, I sometimes feel like I've stayed in a comfortable situation for too long.

Financially it was probably the right decision, but professionally I feel like I've developed less than I could have. That's something that's been bothering me more and more.

Maybe that's my biggest frustration.

This isn't really about money anymore.

Over the past few years I've taken on a lot of responsibility and learned a great deal, but I also feel like my professional growth has stalled. I miss the feeling of learning, improving and challenging myself.

Ironically, this whole discussion about my employment status has forced me to take a hard look at my career, and I've realized I probably haven't been in the right place for quite some time.

One thing I'm certain about is that I don't want to leave the construction industry.

What I'd really like is to move into a more advisory, analytical or strategic role—something related to cost consulting, project advisory, or a similar field. The problem is that I feel I don't yet have enough experience to jump straight into that type of role as a freelancer.

Right now I see three possible paths:

1. Negotiate the best employment package I can, stay for a while, and use that time to figure out what I really want.

2. Look for a similar freelance contract elsewhere, although the market doesn't seem particularly easy at the moment.

3. Intentionally switch to a different role within the construction industry, gain experience there, and potentially return to freelancing later.

A bit about me.

I'm in my mid-thirties, and I'm probably my own biggest critic. Friends and colleagues often tell me I underestimate myself and that I'm too much of a perfectionist. They may be right.

Still, I find it difficult to deliberately take a step back in order to hopefully take two steps forward later. Part of me feels like I should already be further along professionally than I am today.

So I'm curious how others would approach this.

• Has anyone here been in a similar situation?
• Would you negotiate an employment contract or start looking elsewhere?
• How realistic is it to find a new freelance client in today's market?
• Would you intentionally take a step back to build experience in a role that better fits your long-term goals?

I'd really appreciate any thoughts or experiences. I think what I'm looking for most is an objective perspective from people who aren't emotionally involved.

PS: I've posted this in a couple of relevant communities to gather different perspectives, so if you've seen it elsewhere, that's why.