3 Week Christmas / NY Contractor Freeze

[chopper]

All the contractors at my current client have just been asked for their availability over Christmas and New Year ...

Nobody's very keen.

I plan around billing 220 days a year, which equates to 40 days off including bank holidays. I managed to bill 220.5 this year! Bonus.

However, there are rumblings of a 4 week furlough coming up this christmas...

[Tensai]

Understand clients saying "take holiday during your contract" but I would rather do it when I want to, not when they mandate.

E.g. I plan to go skiing in late Feb, but still have to take the furlough in Dec. Ditto for summer holidays.

Not happy.

[northernladuk]

Understand clients saying "take holiday during your contract" but I would rather do it when I want to, not when they mandate.

E.g. I plan to go skiing in late Feb, but still have to take the furlough in Dec. Ditto for summer holidays.

Not happy.

Such is the way of a client/supplier relationship. All things are not always equal.

[Dearnla]

Well, my view is if they want to send me home on December 16th with unfinished business, that's their problem to pick it up. I'll do a handover if anyone's interested, but nobody will be!

[radish2008]

I don't mind taking 20 days off - an increase to 32 for me is a bit too far - it's ok if your rate supports it but if it doesn't then it has to be an issue. For my situation I'll have a chat with them and go from there.

Just as a quick update - managed to negotiate myself out of the 40 days (will still take 20) at renewal. :-)

[LondonManc]

I'd always rather take a furlough than a rate cut. Christmas equates to a 7/8-day non-billing period, depending on which two weeks you have off. I tend to take the middle week off every year to recharge the batteries and be merry.

If a summer furlough is thrust upon you, negotiating to say, well, I've got a holiday booked then, will that do, usually works, or at least it did for me last time.

[MrMarkyMark]

I'd always rather take a furlough than a rate cut. Christmas equates to a 7/8-day non-billing period, depending on which two weeks you have off. I tend to take the middle week off every year to recharge the batteries and be merry.

If a summer furlough is thrust upon you, negotiating to say, well, I've got a holiday booked then, will that do, usually works, or at least it did for me last time.

I know you like to take time off, reflect, relax and spend some of that heaving chest of loot you (did) have LM

Bet its a real nice kitchen though, your wife knows her quality kit

[LondonManc]

I know you like to take time off, reflect, relax and spend some of that heaving chest of loot you (did) have LM

Bet its a real nice kitchen though, your wife knows her quality kit

Haha, yeah. Beans on toast until April now.

[MrMarkyMark]

Haha, yeah. Beans on toast until April now.

Plenty of nice new pans to cook the beans in, made up lad

[LondonManc]

Plenty of nice new pans to cook the beans in, made up lad

Thrilled. Especially with my Neff coffee machine that I'll have to put Tesco Value beans in