Client says NO to time off

[SussexSeagull]

Tell them you accept the extension but won't be available for the two weeks in August. They will either still want you or withdraw the offer.

No point delaying an argument until July.

[SueEllen]

Since the OP only ever posts to create threads with tales of woe about ClientCo X, Y or Z I'm not sure that upsetting a ClientCo is a particularly large concern.

You are not the only one who has noticed that.

Maybe the OP needs to go on some assertiveness and team working training....

[TheLordDave]

I had similar with an ex Dev team lead. Politely informed him that I wasn't requesting leave, I was informing him of my inability to provide services for a period of time. He didn't like it (he was a c**k anyhow) but I felt better about our relative positions afterwards. Still got 2 more extensions out of the gig.

[FarmerPalmer]

Direction & Control = no go.
Look for another contract.
I inform my clients of availability before committing.
If it's not acceptable then walk.

[borderreiver]

You are not the only one who has noticed that.

Maybe the OP needs to go on some assertiveness and team working training....

Looking at the writing style and content I'm convinced the OP is psychocandy's sockie, to be honest ...

[psychocandy]

**** me. I'd get blamed if the cat had kittens. 😨

[Glencky]

I'm astonished to read this thread! I'm totally with JMO21. Until a couple of years ago, I *was* 'the client' (the hiring manager for a large organisation with a pool of contractors and permies reporting to me). I can't imagine behaving as unreasonably as this..! How ON EARTH can anyone seriously expect to control what you've booked outside the contract period? And once you've got it booked, if they want to renew you, they do it on that basis - you have, quite reasonably, made prior commitments.

Previous comments about the client acting like this having absolutely no respect for you as a human being (not to mention zero understanding of any kind of supplier-client relationship, or indeed normal professional working relationship!) are absolutely spot-on, IMHO. He seriously needs a reality check.

As others have said, if the client had said... "I remember you mentioning it to me, but it's going to cause us a real problem because XYZ" and come up with a GOOD REASON, I might - but only might - consider being flexible in some way (as long as the financial recompense was there). But it would have to be a good reason. Quite frankly in my environment nobody plans an implementation or a key date in August because you'd never get anyone to care, because there are so few people. It's skeleton staff only. So I seriously doubt there's a valid reason to be in the office or the OP would probably know about it already (implementation / key date/ he's in support and there are a few key people so August is a nightmare etc etc).

Utter b-llocks. I would almost certainly be judged as too accommodating by many on these boards, and in particular I choose to operate inside IR35, so many of the issues about direction & control just don't bother me. But this is a much wider point of principle that I just wouldn't stand for. I don't have kids, but anyone trying to tell me to cancel a prebooked holiday can go and take a jump!

That's how I'd feel... what I'd actually say would be, "Sorry, it's not possible for me to cancel it. So the options are for us not to proceed with the renewal, or to renew for a shorter period up until the holiday."

I would expect that they would cave and 'approve' the holiday, and I would also expect that a moron like that would consider this a black mark against me in the future. So I'd be looking for something else ASAP.

If I had been in any way in two minds about the renewal before this and had enough money behind me, I'd just tell them thanks but no thanks.

Honestly, some people!

[AJ1982]

Agree completely, I have always booked my own hols outside of contracts (Aside from the odd day or two when I am "unavailable"). Renewals have come round and i have always said "Fine, but I have prebooked hols xxx", never been a problem.

[NotAllThere]

Twice (as a hiring manager) I took on contractors who told me, from the start, they'd be unable to work specific dates. On both occasions idiot project managers tried to make them come in anyway, despite it not being required at all (I used to do this thing called "resource planning"). For the first I just said "He refuses to come in - I can sack him if you like" and the pm backed down. For the second, they got to him while I was off site for a day, and persuaded him to work from home for 2 days and come in for the remaining 3. As it happened, for those five days, he wasn't required... and when we offered him a renewal, he rejected it. Which was a shame as he was my best programmer.

If a project manager can't manage pre-notified absences, then he or she should go away and let someone with actual skills do the job.

[dty]

If a project manager can't manage pre-notified absences, then he or she should go away and let someone with actual skills do the job.

More to the point, they're going to be totally screwed when someone gets hit by a bus and has unforeseen absence.

Notwithstanding any IR35/D&C arguments, I tend to take time off "like a permie". That is, I approach the client and say "I'd like to take a few days off next week, is that OK?" or "We're thinking about a family holiday for a week in July, I assume that won't cause an issue?". I certainly wouldn't just announce my unavailability - that strikes me as unprofessional. That said, I've never had the answer "no", either, so I don't have a clear plan in my head for how I'd deal with that.