> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://openup.gitbook.io/handbook/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://openup.gitbook.io/handbook/how-we-work/outsourcing-and-contracting/why-we-contract-people.md). # Why do we contract external workers? ### 1. **South Africa’s labor laws** * Difficult to be flexible with an SA workforce * Difficult to internally restructure. * Costly for small organisations. * SA is expensive. Outsourcing outside the country is significantly cheaper. * Small domestic skill pool; difficult to find specific skills in SA. Outsourcing online gives us access to a much wider variety of experience and ability. ### **2. The inherent nature of OpenUp's Agile and Scrum methodology** #### **Our staff is liable to change depending on our workload, which tends to be flexible.** * Requirements are rarely fixed. * Needed skills commonly fluctuate from quarter to quarter --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://openup.gitbook.io/handbook/how-we-work/outsourcing-and-contracting/why-we-contract-people.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.