Client Dictating Hours of Work

[jmo21]

While it just might be the manager being stupid or a control freak, it might also be coming from above her head, or complaints from permies who do not realise you start earlier.

In other words, lots of stupid reasons.

I'm in a place in life where I wouldn't worry about it. If someone tried to bring me in to their stupid bulltulip, I'd tell them straight, I am completing my work, I am doing the hours, and if you don't like when I do them, then I will hand in my notice.

Having "core" hours of availability makes sense, so if you try to work 5am til 1pm or something daft, then it isn't going to work.

[SlipTheJab]

Yep over the last few contracts I've had core hours have been 10 till 4, ppl are free to come in early or late so long as they are in for those hours, makes sense really.

[SueEllen]

I don't have kids but I do have other family priorities although I really don't feel why I should have to explain what those are to justify working in accordance with the terms of my contract and the fact that I am in fact supplying services and not an employee.

Sometimes you get things by appealing to people's better nature.

At one client contractors who lived further away could leave earlier on a Friday thereby not doing core hours.

[NotAllThere]

I said that I didn't want to take an hour but she pretty much ended the conversation with 'we will discuss this in our next catch up meeting' and walked off.

Right. So she didn't tell you you couldn't do it. You should have carried on leaving at 4:30.

To make her point she has also started scheduling half hour meetings with me at 4.30pm.

Leave the office at 16:30. She can sit in her office waiting if she likes. I've found just making things happen works wonders. No need to be antagonistic; remain polite. Just do what you need to do.

Depending on the culture of the client, there is of course a risk of being terminated, but my experience is that when you stand up in this way to idiotic behaviour, the other party backs down as it's far too embarrassing to continue. They're the ones who look silly and inflexible.

[nomadd]

I've recently started a contract and, leaving at 4.30pm fits in with my personal/family needs.

Did you mention your "personal needs" at any point during the contract negotiations? As a rule, I never work beyond 4:30pm, but then I arrive at work an hour before you seem to be doing.

And I make it abundantly clear, multiple times, to both the agency and the client that this is how my company operates, from point of first contract all the way through to starting on-site.

(NB. I also don't do any form of "support" work, hence there never is any reason for me to have to "stay late". Not sure if this is true in your case.)

[ziggystardust]

Did you mention your "personal needs" at any point during the contract negotiations? As a rule, I never work beyond 4:30pm, but then I arrive at work an hour before you seem to be doing.

And I make it abundantly clear, multiple times, to both the agency and the client that this is how my company operates, from point of first contract all the way through to starting on-site.

(NB. I also don't do any form of "support" work, hence there never is any reason for me to have to "stay late". Not sure if this is true in your case.)

What do you mean by 'support work'?

[SueEllen]

What do you mean by 'support work'?

Support work is when generally a live system fails and the reason for failure needs investigation and fixed. The timespan this needs to be done in depends on the cost to the client of the failure.

I've only done support work as a permie and then only for a very brief period.

[unixman]

Unless there is a compelling reason to be in the office for those exact times, or the contraact itself makes a big deal about it, then this is just nonense arising from the manager's ignorance of contactors and lack of experience in hiring them.

I would have the meeting, (remembering at all times not to overreact and be businesslike and polite). If she still doesn't understand, quietly inform the agent, who will likely have a quiet word with his contact on site. If this doesn't get the desired result, smile smile smile, look for another contract and decline the next renewal.

[eman]

Unless there is a compelling reason to be in the office for those exact times, or the contraact itself makes a big deal about it, then this is just nonense arising from the manager's ignorance of contactors and lack of experience in hiring them.

The OP said the "manager" in this case was actually a fellow contractor...

[ziggystardust]

No, I don't do support work so this does not apply to me. The general culture of the office however is that people stay until 5pm and after that time so it does feel as though many eyes are me when I leave the office. . So it seems that I can discuss this with the client (who is a contractor herself! ) and if I don't get the desired result either stick it out for the 6 months and do what she asks, which as northernladuk implied, could open the doors for more control freakish behaviour. Or second option is to just ignore her and work the hours I want to and to my contract terms at the risk of annoying the client, working in an uncomfortable atmosphere and possibly risking termination. Thirdly, nip the whole thing in the bud and hand my notice in (currently a month). Which would you be inclined to do? Not sure whether my agent would be on my side