Working from home allowed?

[Gulliver]

Now, I work as a UX designer contractor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience_design), I could do all my work from home, but it is generally "expected" that I work at the client's premises. It's like an unspoken rule. Every other UX, graphic design or web developer contractor I know do this.

But I can't get the thought out of my mind to work from home. It's a waste of time to commute and I'm much more efficient working at home at my own setup. Especially with the IR35 in place.

My contract states the following:

"Location
7.1 The Company shall have the right, subject to the Client’s approval, to determine the location at which the Specified Services will be provided."

So, as far as I can tell, legally I could work from home. But what is this Client's approval? Can they disapprove my right?
To be frank, if I tell my client that I would like to work from home, they will just say "What??" The works is at XY street, London. If I insist on my right I guess they would fire me. Or can they?

My notice period is immediate and I'm through a recruitment agency.

My question is: has anyone ever tried to use their right to work from home? If so how to go about this?

[SueEllen]

You need to agree with the client that you will work from home and come in if you need to. You should have talked about this when you interviewed/first met them to take on the assignment.

Now you have to bring up the subject with them carefully.

[Batcher]

Why don't you just ask the client if you can work from home? It's only an unspoken rule if you don't speak about it

[jamesbrown]

Since there's nothing in the wording about permission not to be unreasonably withheld, there's no basis in the contract for you to work at home if the client doesn't want this, so forget about the contract wording and just approach your client directly and, indeed, carefully, unless you're prepared to walk on the basis of a disagreement. Agree with SE above that this is something best discussed early on, although if you've proven to be valuable, there's a good chance the client will agree some fraction offsite. For me, 100% offsite is a requirement discussed upfront (but only because it's feasible in my line of work).

[jamesbrown]

they would fire me.

ps. minor quibble, but they wouldn't "fire" you since you're not their employee; they would terminate the contract w/ the agency who would then terminate their contract w/ YourCo.

[VectraMan]

It's a waste of time to commute and I'm much more efficient working at home at my own setup. Especially with the IR35 in place.

How does IR35 being "in place" make you more efficient working from home?

[cojak]

UX stands for User eXperiance.

Call me old-fashioned but at times would expect you to have the user sitting next to you to discuss their experience.

Unless you have the facility to share the page remotely via webex, skype or whatever.

The client will want to know how you expect to approach this.

[TestMangler]

Now, I work as a UX designer contractor (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience_design), I could do all my work from home, but it is generally "expected" that I work at the client's premises. It's like an unspoken rule. Every other UX, graphic design or web developer contractor I know do this.

But I can't get the thought out of my mind to work from home. It's a waste of time to commute and I'm much more efficient working at home at my own setup. Especially with the IR35 in place.

My contract states the following:

"Location
7.1 The Company shall have the right, subject to the Client’s approval, to determine the location at which the Specified Services will be provided."

So, as far as I can tell, legally I could work from home. But what is this Client's approval? Can they disapprove my right?
To be frank, if I tell my client that I would like to work from home, they will just say "What??" The works is at XY street, London. If I insist on my right I guess they would fire me. Or can they?

My notice period is immediate and I'm through a recruitment agency.

My question is: has anyone ever tried to use their right to work from home? If so how to go about this?

As Batcher said, try asking the client (or telling them if it is in your nature to do that).

I pretty much always get to work from home. Current contract I'm doing something like one week in six in the office.

[northernladuk]

To be frank, if I tell my client that I would like to work from home, they will just say "What??" The works is at XY street, London. If I insist on my right I guess they would fire me. Or can they?

Good luck with that approach. I can see your next post will be about immediate notice if you go in with that line.

The phrase you are completely missing here is 'subject to the Client’s approval'

That doesn't give you the right and it also doesn't mean you can tell your client you are working from home or insist on it. It reads to me you can suggest it as an option and they can approve or deny. Simple as.

I would certainly do a stint in the office to prove myself before strong arming a client in to letting me work from home.

[PerfectStorm]

UX stands for User eXperiance. (sic!)

Call me old-fashioned but at times would expect you to have the user sitting next to you to discuss their experience.

Yeah, but you can't watch telly and/or masturbate that way.