How to deal with discrimination as a contractor

[luimneach2005]

So you meant "a day" - specifying the number of hours implies you were paid hourly

And if you weren't "allowed" to work from home, why did you (and try to invoice for it?)

Good luck with your battle, I doubt you'll be able to prove anything or claim anything with regards to a business to business contract, but gender discrimination should certainly be a thing of the distant past in 2015

There is no allowed to work from home. There is "autonomy to provide services as supplier sees fit". In writing. In a contract. Given the continued interruption in the office I decided to work somewhere I could have uninterrupted focus. It was emailed across about 10pm that evening for a morning deadline. Working this way has never been an issue in the previous 20 years of consulting, especially considering it's a sparingly used approach.

[TheFaQQer]

I'm not sure why you think I'm disabled or indeed why that should be an issue for a knowledge worker - again there are supposed laws regards this sort of thing. Indeed many years ago when I broke my back my client at the time had no issue in me attending in my wheelchair. Didn't affect my brain, hearing or speech.

Well my suspicions were first aroused by your use of the words

I am somewhat disabled

which led me to think that you were somewhat disabled.

I didn't say it would be an issue for a knowledge worker, I said that maybe you were discriminated against because of your disability.

[luimneach2005]

OP certainly sounds like some nobbbish behaviour but I'd agree with others. Is it because you're a woman or just because the client is a dick?

Some clients just don't get the WFH thing and are well opposed to it. Sounds like yours is.

As for that day when they told you to stay home but be available for calls. Sod that. Either they let you WFH or they don't.

If I'm ill and they won't let me WFH then dont phone me. But don't expect to have your cake and eat it. i.e. being available for free.

Truthfully that's exactly what peed me off the most. Work for free please.

[northernladuk]

Truthfully that's exactly what peed me off the most. Work for free please.

In both this and the previous comment about autonomy you voiced the same concerns we all have. Where is your gender coming in to this?

[pr1]

There is no allowed to work from home. There is "autonomy to provide services as supplier sees fit". In writing. In a contract. Given the continued interruption in the office I decided to work somewhere I could have uninterrupted focus. It was emailed across about 10pm that evening for a morning deadline. Working this way has never been an issue in the previous 20 years of consulting, especially considering it's a sparingly used approach.

You've got the right to provide a suitable substitute in there as well, good luck with that one too in a bank

[LondonManc]

If you're the SME being paid four figures a day then the clientco are probably insisting that you're on site to get perceived value for money out of you. I've had similar (apart from the rate!) where contractors weren't allowed to WFH for a particular manager because he wanted to see the value being delivered. It's more of a control thing than a sexism thing.

That said, if you think that you've got sufficient evidence of discrimination rather than just opinion, then gather it and present it to a solicitor for assessment.

[Danglekt]

I don't know the circumstances, only you do - but one point about Working from home, if its waiting in for a plumber or parcel or whatever is different to working from home cos you are unwell/injured.

When I have been crocked I have accepted I wont get paid that day, as this is the lot for contractors... I dont think it's comparing apples with apples, after all the client could genuinely not feel the quality or volume of output will be on par due to your injury (and there is an argument to say that they could have a point there) -

I'm not sure if other issues have happened at this client that point strongly to sexism but could this be a case of looking for patterns that don't exist?

Again, only you can answer that - but it is human nature to take a lot of different data points and join them up with a narrative which may or may not have a basis in fact. I'm guilty of it myself.

Maybe get some specialist advice, as I've never seen any sexism in my time in contracting, as far as I can see it lends itself even more to the attitude of being measured on outputs rather than inputs and therefore bypasses all this sort of Victorian thinking.

[MrMarkyMark]

good luck with that one too in a bank

It is very doable, purely depends on the contractors relationship / reputation with the bank.
Obviously, you would have to think about the move carefully, give them the right amount of handover / notice.
It, obviously, helps if the contractor has worked at Client Co before.

Again, commenting on a world you know absolutely nothing about

[psychocandy]

Truthfully that's exactly what peed me off the most. Work for free please.

Ah so there is no WFH allowed but you did so and billed for it and they knocked it back? Is this what happened?

Yes unfair maybe and you were helping them out but if they said no WFH and you did so then I guess the manager is just trying to prove a point. Nobhead point of course.

BUT, to a certain extent he who pays the piper calls the tune. All well and good kicking off saying Im a contractor I can do what I want etc but it sometimes doesnt work like this unfortunately. There are clients out there who, if hell froze over, would never let a contractor WFH.

But then again, if I was having a day off sick, then I would not be available for calls. I'm out or Im WFH - cant have it all ways. But then again clients will try it on.

[MrMarkyMark]

Ah so there is no WFH allowed but you did so and billed for it and they knocked it back? Is this what happened?

Yes unfair maybe and you were helping them out but if they said no WFH and you did so then I guess the manager is just trying to prove a point. Nobhead point of course.

BUT, to a certain extent he who pays the piper calls the tune. All well and good kicking off saying Im a contractor I can do what I want etc but it sometimes doesnt work like this unfortunately. There are clients out there who, if hell froze over, would never let a contractor WFH.

But then again, if I was having a day off sick, then I would not be available for calls. I'm out or Im WFH - cant have it all ways. But then again clients will try it on.

I don't know where to start, I really don't

Piffle