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Client requests weekend work

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    Client requests weekend work

    Big project on run by one of the PMs.
    Anyway, hes asked me to work on a Saturday. Outline times are be on normal site at 6am (its 50 miles away), drive to other site (50 miles away) where its all planned to finish at 6pm earliest. Its then 50 miles home for me from there (like a triangle).

    I did ask whether this needs to be authorized and, to be honest, he was a bit off with me. Sort of a why are you making it difficult JFDI attitude.... Hmmm.

    Must admit I am tempted to clear it first with the senior guy who authorises the timesheets. Not being inflexible but if Im giving up 14-15 hours of my weekend it aint going to be done for free.

    In terms of contract, I'm on Professional Day with minimum 7.5 hours with no extra if its more but they knock off hours pro rata if its less. (Not cool).

    Appreciate getting to site initially is not their problem in terms of my time or travel expense but no mention has been made of travel expenses for the extra travel.

    Any opinions on this?
    Suck up and bill for just one PWD regardless if its 12 hours?
    Suck up the extra travel or expense the extra 50 miles to them? (it'd be 100 miles round trip per day normally - this will be 150 miles)

    Don't want to come across as a money grabbing git but probably would be a bit unhappy if I end up just getting a single PWD for this and end up shelling for my own travel. Especially since its a saturday and 6am start. (which means either a really early start for me or extra cost of friday night hotel stay).

    #2
    At one client site, I used to do occasional weekend installs. These needed to be done in a sequence for other systems. One weekend I rocked up at 4pm for my slot but at 1pm in the mroning, I still couldnt do any work. They said it would be another couple of hours before it would be ready for me.

    I offered to stay but they said they'd get the back up (but systems were still not available for them!) in so I went home. The drive to \ from the site was 160 miles round trip. I only asked for my normal day rate plus WFH the next day which was ok'd up front. I didnt bother asking for more cash because I was able to work a 4 day week and it was only 35 hour week.

    If this is short notice, Id be a bit reluctant to do a weekend 6am start at one site then be expected to drive to another. Didnt they warn you about this?

    At the very least, you need to get authorisation for weekend and out of hours working. Whether they'd pay extra only you would know ask.

    If its a one off, Id accept it so long as everything is authorised up front.
    I couldn't give two fornicators! Yes, really!

    Comment


      #3
      My contract clearly stated that work had to be carried out Mon - Fri so when I was asked to come in the weekend I asked for an addendum: 50% extra + accommodation and travel cost, which was accepted without any problem
      I also said my liability insurance wouldn't be valid if I would come outside of contract hours (not even sure if it was true, but it helped my case)

      Comment


        #4
        Any opinions on this?
        Suck up and bill for just one PWD regardless if its 12 hours?
        Do you feel happy with this? Do you feel strongly against it and won't do it? Really up to you. It really doesn't matter what we think and would do. You can guarantee you are going to get the full spectrum of opinions so not really helpful.

        As BB says, is it a one off or on going?

        Suck up the extra travel or expense the extra 50 miles to them? (it'd be 100 miles round trip per day normally - this will be 150 miles) -
        Look at the actual pennies.. the extra 50 miles is like £22 quid. If you don't want to seem like a money grabbing git why are you even considering billing your client £22??

        I would however risk pissing the PM off and make sure I get authorisation from whoever is signing the timesheets. What a PM wants and client is willing to pay for are completely different things.
        'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Eirikur View Post
          My contract clearly stated that work had to be carried out Mon - Fri so when I was asked to come in the weekend I asked for an addendum: 50% extra + accommodation and travel cost, which was accepted without any problem
          I also said my liability insurance wouldn't be valid if I would come outside of contract hours (not even sure if it was true, but it helped my case)
          That's like a poker bluff. Ok if it works but could be very damaging if someone catches you out!!
          'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

          Comment


            #6
            First of all, what does your contract/assignment schedule says about the location where your services will be provided to the client? Are there any caps on the hours, like 40 / week? Is there a mention of attendance hours? Is there MOO clause?

            You are not charity, expecting to get paid for work outside of the normal schedule is not greediness.

            Personally i would clear up in advance with the person signing my timesheets any activities outside of the normal schedule that will incur additional cost to the ClientCo. If this makes someone unhappy - though tulip.

            Comment


              #7
              Fair point about the travel expenses. Its only £22.

              Would I be happy if I just got one standard day? Probably not but if I say no its going to go down like a lead balloon. If they pay me 1.5 days then I'd forget the expenses.

              But that's the point - no-ones said yet what the deal is.

              In terms of contract, PWD with minimum of 7.5 hours per day. No extra for more but less pro-rata for less than 7.5 hours. No difference for weekend work or restriction to mon-fri. Base is listed as normal site - no mention of other site.

              So I guess strictly speaking its one PWD then with no extra?

              Must admit in the past other clients asked me to work 12 hours and agreed to pay 1.5 daily rate.

              Comment


                #8
                one off this time but probably times in the future where they need weekend work (albeit probably at normal site with no travel between).

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  Client requests weekend work
                  Firstly, deal with that. If it's a request and you don't want to do it, then you say no. If it's an instruction and it's not in the contract, then you day no.

                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  Must admit I am tempted to clear it first with the senior guy who authorises the timesheets. Not being inflexible but if Im giving up 14-15 hours of my weekend it aint going to be done for free.
                  You should clear it with the person who is going to decide whether you get paid for it or not. It's a simple chat "PM has asked me to work 15 hours on Saturday - I assume I'll be paid £ABC to do it?"

                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  In terms of contract, I'm on Professional Day with minimum 7.5 hours with no extra if its more but they knock off hours pro rata if its less. (Not cool).
                  Not cool is one way to describe it. Bloody stupid is another - why would you accept what is essentially an hourly rate with a cap? Either pay the PWD or pay the hourly rate, not the worst of both worlds. Hopefully you won't make that mistake again in the future.

                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  Appreciate getting to site initially is not their problem in terms of my time or travel expense but no mention has been made of travel expenses for the extra travel.

                  Any opinions on this?
                  Check with the guy who approves the timesheet and the invoice. Current client, I don't invoice mileage when we get together, because I'd have to find out what the mileage rates were and then get it approved. But I bill my train and hotel costs back to them because they are more expensive - I still claim the mileage back from my company though.

                  If you would normally charge, then charge.

                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  Suck up and bill for just one PWD regardless if its 12 hours?
                  If there is nothing in the contract which offers a premium for non-standard hours (not overtime, because that's a permie benefit ), then the most you can charge for would be the day plus expenses. You might get lucky and be able to take the additional time off, but I wouldn't hold my breath (given the terms you seem to be on).

                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  Suck up the extra travel or expense the extra 50 miles to them? (it'd be 100 miles round trip per day normally - this will be 150 miles)
                  If you are going to expense it, then I'd go for the whole hog and bill for 150 miles. Your normal mileage that day would be 0 miles, so they aren't asking you to do an extra 50 miles, it's an extra 150 miles.

                  Originally posted by mankyspanky View Post
                  Don't want to come across as a money grabbing git but probably would be a bit unhappy if I end up just getting a single PWD for this and end up shelling for my own travel. Especially since its a saturday and 6am start. (which means either a really early start for me or extra cost of friday night hotel stay).
                  So don't do it then. Simple.
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                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by northernladuk View Post
                    Look at the actual pennies.. the extra 50 miles is like £22 quid. If you don't want to seem like a money grabbing git why are you even considering billing your client £22??
                    <pedant>No, it's 50 times the mileage rate agreed</pedant>

                    When I was a consultant, I'd get 12p a mile and the client got billed £1 a mile. Just because you'd claim £22 back from your employer doesn't mean you'd only invoice that rate to the client.
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