I once had a manager who couldn't stand that I wouldn't "look busy." I said, give me something to do -within the scope of my contract- I'll do it with a smile, but I won't pretend to work. My contract said they had to pay me even if they sent me home for the day. So I just hung out, but they hated that too because I was visably doing nothing. There are downsides to contract work, but there are also big upsides. I can't tell you how many times I'd agreed to terms with a client, arrived, and had them immediately try to gaslight me about what was agreed to.