Contracting working hours: the norm

[northernladuk]

I don't agree with number 2 at all. I've never met a client like this. I don't deny they are out there but I wouldn't say most at all.

[psychocandy]

I don't agree with number 2 at all. I've never met a client like this. I don't deny they are out there but I wouldn't say most at all.

What I mean is most clients havent thought about it either way. Turn up and do 7.5 hours they wont say anything, turn up and start doing 10 then they'll expect this as the norm.

[SueEllen]

What I mean is most clients havent thought about it either way. Turn up and do 7.5 hours they wont say anything, turn up and start doing 10 then they'll expect this as the norm.

Not had that and sometimes I work longer hours just to avoid traffic/full trains.

In the plus side all clients haven't had problems when I've had appointments so had to come in late, leave early or have days off.

[BlasterBates]

No different to being a permie, all companies are different. Not all companies expect everyone to turn up and do unpaid overtime, this sounds like one of them.

Up to you, in that situation if you do your hours they will probably get miffed if they're all working long hours.

Since it's your first contract you might want to play ball, at least for a while. Once you're half-way through you could probably slack off and start looking for a new contract.

If they're expecting long hours you won't really want to renew anyway.

Once you're experienced and confident you can land a contract easily you can afford to be tough.

[psychocandy]

No different to being a permie, all companies are different. Not all companies expect everyone to turn up and do unpaid overtime, this sounds like one of them.

Up to you, in that situation if you do your hours they will probably get miffed if they're all working long hours.

Since it's your first contract you might want to play ball, at least for a while. Once you're half-way through you could probably slack off and start looking for a new contract.

If they're expecting long hours you won't really want to renew anyway.

Once you're experienced and confident you can land a contract easily you can afford to be tough.

With me I do my hours as I see fit. Especially with a long commute. I've also got personal reasons why I can't spend all evening willy nilly on client site.

If client has issue then I just see it as us being not a good fit and I dont renew. Just one of those things.

Of course, preclude emergencies from this. If something goes wrong, I will stay until next morning if needs be. What my personal circumstances cant deal with is additional hours due to bad planning/piss poor management/underresourcing.

Sorry but my family dont suffer because a client is like this.

[psychocandy]

Not had that and sometimes I work longer hours just to avoid traffic/full trains.

In the plus side all clients haven't had problems when I've had appointments so had to come in late, leave early or have days off.

LOL. Must be bad then! :-)

Not all like this. I had one who I famously worked till midnight two nights in a row to sort a major problem then moaned a week or two later when I said I'd be in at 11 because of a dentist appt.

[SueEllen]

LOL. Must be bad then! :-)

Not all like this. I had one who I famously worked till midnight two nights in a row to sort a major problem then moaned a week or two later when I said I'd be in at 11 because of a dentist appt.

Well we all know some people in management positions are idiots. ...

[expat]

LOL. Must be bad then! :-)

Not all like this. I had one who I famously worked till midnight two nights in a row to sort a major problem then moaned a week or two later when I said I'd be in at 11 because of a dentist appt.

Yeah. I had one case where I worked 14 hours on Thursday, 15 hours on Friday, and 6 hours on Saturday (until the job was finished). I put down 1 day for each, and all the manager said was "you're claiming a whole day for Saturday?"

Yes and the last one I'll do for Accenture.....

[NotAllThere]

Up until 2000, it was all hourly rate, 37-40 hours per week. If you worked it, you were expected to bill it. The expectation was you'd work at least 37 hours per week, but could do it pretty much as you liked - I did 40 hours in 3.5 days on one contract.

Post 2000, I had a mix of daily rate and hourly.

Now I have three contracts. One with multiple projects, charging by the half day, with around 8 hours day + half-hour lunch.

One is a flat amount per month, with an understanding that it should balance out at about 2 days per week.

One is solely on commission, every time they make a sale on the product.

[TheLordDave]

I'm on hourly. 37 min but can bill up to 40 if I want to work it. Much prefer day rates with flexibility.