I’m a level 6 and miserable! I don’t know how much longer I can keep this up. IC is not an option since I carry the health insurance for the family. Maybe this is just a rant, not sure. Anyone else struggle to not feel completely overwhelmed by the constant over scheduling?!
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That is exactly why I’m NOT a level 6. I’ve been doing this long enough I could have promoted SEVERAL times but I choose not to so that I can maintain my sanity. You have to decide what’s more important to you: money or peace… I chose peace.
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Get a part-time BI or other job that offers benefits then go full speed IC. If you discipline yourself you’ll make as much working IC as you currently make at level 6. Get a get a good tax person and you’ll make bank with no bs from unqualified nuts hired by contract companies as slave drivers.
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I didn’t realize there were part time BI jobs that offered health insurance. Do you know which vendors offer this?
If I remember right isn’t the difference in pay from 5 to 6 almost $10k and it’s only like 2 sources more a week for level 6? Seems like the stress would still be there at level 5.
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I was a level 6 and requested to be “sent back” to a level 5. The level 6 in a rural area was just not feasible. I am single, kids grown, so yea there was some belt tightening, but I did it and kept my sanity. I realize having a family/kids would make it 100X more difficult, but your sanity, and integrity might be worth it.
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I’m a level 6 in a rural area and it drives me crazy sometimes, I don’t shoot for 110% production like they want though. Remember the metric scale they have is total BS and it’s just there so you keep churning out cases. I aim for 90-95% production and no one has had ever said anything to me about it.
My manager told me I was assigned to 158% capacity to allow for attrition of cases. This makes no sense to me. No way I can work like that and I’m definitely not reassigning or canceling that much work that I should be over assigning this much, but talking to management is like talking to a wall. No one listens …or cares.
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I guarantee if the vendors gave investigators more manageable workloads that cases would get done quicker.
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The only way you can make P’s high numbers is working off the clock which they’ve been sued for so many times I can’t count when they were going by the current name and other names. They don’t care because they’re making so much money lawsuits are probably budgeted in.
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This job is the absolute worst. It’s not because of the work itself, it’s the upper echelon at the contractors that make the job more stressful. They treat investigators and even reviewers like modern-day slaves and no raises and some companies take away your health insurance while they’re killing you at the same time. The contract became worse when DCSA made the bad decision only using 2 primes. Not sure whose idea that was but it was a bad one. It caused hardship for many and it killed jobs.
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I’ve been a CI for over 8 years and I control my workload. I’ve consistently (except 2021) made a fair amount more than a new full time investigator (with the companies) while taking a few weeks off throughout the year.
The TDYs help a lot too, but I’ve only just started doing that this year. An efficient CI can make 2-3 months of income in a 2-3 week TDY (you might be insane after that 2-3 weeks, but can take some time off to refresh!)
You can also make enough to provide your own health insurance and tax deductions take care of the other expenses that CIs have to deal with.
I’ve know many full time FIs and not one of them recommend going full time (well, there was one crazy full timer, but…)
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I would love to go IC but I carry the health insurance for my family and have yet to find an affordable health care option that gives good coverage. Any recommendations?
I heard that ACBI (Association of Credentialed Background Investigators, ACBI.org) has some self employment medical insurance options, but I have not checked them out. I’m assuming you’d have to be a member ($50 annual membership fee) but it might be worth checking out.
Have you considered looking into a subcontractor that offers full-time and benefits?
Do you mean like Canda, Xcelerate etc?
I moved over to Omni after paragon pretty much tanked. So far so good.
If you work for xcelerate you won’t even know it. You have a CACi supervisor and you have to meet CACi metrics. You will have additional admin work such as two time sheets and dealing with their mileage system. I’ll admit they are working on implementing a new one soon because of how long it takes with the current method. You will have to ask three supervisors for approval of time off- grant it they never deny it but seems bizarre.
I hate to be discouraging but this has always been how it goes. I spent 16 years in the field as an employee and an IC then my last three years in IA. I was in my mid 40s when I began and had spent 20 years in the Army so I knew BS from managers when I heard it and did not let it affect me. I went out the door, worked a solid 8 hours and met the metrics and still, they wanted more. You can’t give more than you can give and remember the reason you are doing it and remind managers of that also. You are not in a factory cranking out widgets. You are dealing with many factors beyond your control. One thing I did do was any email dealing with “production” I instantly deleted it. It was the same song and dance. Good luck to you!
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I’m confused. Level 6?