Help - travel (maximum hours) and work in one day...

[psychocandy]

What is your contracted location? If the contract says one place and you now need to be somewhere else then raise that issue.

Is driving the only option?

Yep good point.

[washed up contractor]

Hi,

Looking for some thoughts on the following (Disregarding contract which I had to accept to get contract):

I am being asked to travel to a meeting in an office 4/5 hours drive away from my home. There is a scheduled afternoon meeting slot arranged at the destination followed by 4/5 hour drive back home.

If you are a professional driver the max hours in a day seems to be 10 hours.

The expectation is that I would drive for close to the 10 hours of a professional drivers limit plus do a 5 hour meeting - this without any breaks for food or comfort.

I am told no expenses are payable (contract as stated above) for an overnight stay.

A number of things spring to mind:

1 - It would seem that the company is shooting itself in the foot as by the time I arrive at the meeting I will already be pretty tired.
2 - It would appear that what the company is asking is very dangerous... tiredness kills as they say.
3 - Is there anything I can do?
-- Refuse to do it? - no further contract...
-- Pay for hotel myself and drive there the day before - there may well be more of these so not ideal.
-- Or stay in the hotel the night after the meeting - this would leave me being late for work the following day.
4 - Is this something that can be asked of someone legally? If time is added for comfort and tiredness breaks to journeys it might make 12 hours in total then some time added for a meal add the distant location say 1 hour it quickly adds up to near 18 hours without any real contingency for road works, accidents or other issues on the journey.
5 - Is there not a duty of care towards me regardless of contractor status?

Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated...

many thanks

So what? Working on Merseyside I had about an hour's drive to contract location. The PM then wanted me to drive to Walton on Thames from Merseyside, attend a 4 hour meeting, drive home then be in work the next day all refreshed.

I said **** that, Im not driving that distance in a day, you can train or fly me. Ended up flying. (Funnily enough, I know one client that flew a permie from Newcastle to Poland and back in a day so he could give a speech at a Utilities conference!)

If you dont want to do it or think the journey is too long, suggest the client either pays for an overnighter, train or flies you there.

[psychocandy]

Thing is if client expects you to do this sort of thing and doesnt even note that its a pita or make allowances then you know there is trouble ahead. Most clients I know would at least, say is this ok with you, or offer to pay for train, or hotel or something.

To just assume you're going to do it a bit much. Same with clients who arrange things for weekend without asking first. Its common courtesy - I will try and fit in when I can but some things just ain't cancellable so its tough.

Remember permie days. Dropped on me at short notice - we're doing x on saturday. Wife was working (she was recovery nurse at the time). I said no can do I've got the kids. Manager attitude was "well, can't your wife not work". Umm let me see so some poor buggers operation gets cancelled because you want x upgraded. Do one. I was not popular when I pointed out that yes if something comes up in future and you give me notice, I will try to see if I can swap things but if I can't I can't.

Bottom line for me with things like this - ask nicely and show a bit of consideration and I'll do my best. Assume I'm going to drop everything or put the extra travel in and it'll be a no.