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Day 2 and nothing to do

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    #11
    Originally posted by zoco View Post
    Would I be unreasonable to say to the client that I'll be more than happy to forgo any payment and go and sit on the beach for the next few days until they sort out a login and give me some work to do?
    Nope. If you don't want to be there, negotiate to spend some time offsite and save them some money.
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      #12
      I get these weeks where I get very little hours put in at all.
      Which is really annoying as my client keeps telling me he's got 5 days full a week.
      Not really his fault as he's pulled in five different directions at once so can't keep up with the pace I complete tasks. Testing often takes place weeks after I've completed the feature and we both forget what it was required to do.
      McCoy: "Medical men are trained in logic."
      Spock: "Trained? Judging from you, I would have guessed it was trial and error."

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        #13
        Originally posted by Sausage Surprise View Post
        Post drivel on cuk
        create a cuk sockie
        insult MF on cuk
        Post more drivel on cuk
        go home
        Post yet more drivel on cuk
        go to bed
        dream about posting drivel on cuk
        wake up at 2am
        post drivel on the cuk insomnia thread
        FTFY

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          #14
          Isn't it quite normal to be sat around for up to 2 weeks before getting going on anything?

          In current gig I have days on end with absolutely nothing to do, I come in and invoice and WFH if I can... If they haven't planned their resources properly then that's that.

          I feel bad until I see stuff in my inbox about other gigs I could be doing but am unavailable for because of being here (or at home).

          They are paying for your time and that's what you're charging them for.
          "Is someone you don't like allowed to say something you don't like? If that is the case then we have free speech."- Elon Musk

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            #15
            Worst one I had was told I had to start the following week. Six of us turned up, no security passes, no laptops, no internet access, no signals on mobiles. All documentation was in Sharepoint, no-one could spare the time to talk to us about requirements. It took 3 weeks to get laptops and internet access so at least we could browse the web. It was another 3 weeks before we had security passes, logins, etc. and at least pretend to do something useful.

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              #16
              It amazes me how some of these companies have such money to burn.

              If you're struggling with the 'morality' of being paid to do F all look at it this way.

              Imagine you have 2 gig offers.

              You choose 1 where you end up with nothing to do for 2-3 weeks

              Other gig you would have hit the ground running on day 1 and been invoicing solidly as well.

              You chose the gig you did and are in the situation you are in now. Who should foot the cost of their shoddy resource planning? Yourco or clientco?
              "Is someone you don't like allowed to say something you don't like? If that is the case then we have free speech."- Elon Musk

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                #17
                Originally posted by zoco View Post
                Would I be unreasonable to say to the client that I'll be more than happy to forgo any payment and go and sit on the beach for the next few days until they sort out a login and give me some work to do?

                Really, they were adamant I had to start Monday ... Spending all day sat with your head in a health and safety manual is absolute torture.....
                Invoice and carry on......

                Start up your own project while you wait.

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                  #18
                  Originally posted by Sausage Surprise View Post
                  Park your breakfast
                  Fill in your timesheet
                  Walk around office with a piece of paper in your hand
                  Go for a coffee
                  Surf the mapped drives for "interesting" stuff
                  Go for a walk at lunchtime (get a haircut)
                  Come back and go for a coffee
                  Ride the escalator (if there's one)
                  Do the crossword
                  Go for a coffee and hey presto it's time to go home!
                  Alternatively you could just log on to CUK and exchange pleasantries with SASGuru
                  Let us not forget EU open doors immigration benefits IT contractors more than anyone

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                    #19
                    Psychocandeeeeeeeee!!!
                    'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                    Comment


                      #20
                      Pretty naïve question (and I still ask a few of those myself!). The OP is probably worried that the project will be shelved in its infancy, which very rarely happens IME. He should realise that the whole mindset of engaging temp staff is to fill in for workload and resource mismatches BOTH existing and likely, emphasis on 'likely'. He should also realise that his boss has his own targets to meet, many/most of which have nothing to do with the contract, and the workload for which can explode at any given time. Finally many/most companies will project-plan the 'Arrange stuff the new guy needs to do his job' not as a milestone but as an ongoing and dynamic task whose duration is allowed until well after he has actually been hired and placed.

                      Just about every place I've been I've had to wait somewhere between a day and two entire months before getting on with any meaningful work.

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