What is the best excuse you have used to get out of a contract immediately?

[gables]

I'm close to Edinburgh, sub me in, then sit back and relax what did you say the work was

[ascender]

Which client was this out of curiosity?

As others have said, I find it strange that they underplayed things during the interview as anything but total transparency is just going to cause trouble for all involved. That said, when I start at a new client i like to be onsite for the first while as its the best way to get up to speed and also helps build some sort of degree of confidence in you and trust etc.

I'd either give your notice and explain why or have an informal chat with whoever you're reporting in to.

[jmo21]

Tell them this wasn't what you were told in the interview. Tell them what you are prepared to do. If it doesn't suit them offer to stay until they find a replacement. Either that or they will just bin you. Either way you get out.

The client won't want you there if you can't do what they want so should be a pretty simple negotiation.

This is all you need to do, though what you discussed in the interview was a bit woolly "not every week". I'd have wanted something way more specific.

[psychocandy]

Which client was this out of curiosity?

As others have said, I find it strange that they underplayed things during the interview as anything but total transparency is just going to cause trouble for all involved. That said, when I start at a new client i like to be onsite for the first while as its the best way to get up to speed and also helps build some sort of degree of confidence in you and trust etc.

I'd either give your notice and explain why or have an informal chat with whoever you're reporting in to.

Yeh in my experience, as I said, clients overplay it in interview if anything because they dont want the hassle down the line.

Current client tend to ask me nicely if theres something to be done after 4pm lol. Public sector = a whole different world.

[b0redom]

Can't you just put your big boy pants on and go see whoever signs your timesheets and say, "Look, I was told this was going to be occasional travel. If it's going to be every week it's not going to work. Can we agree on something mutually acceptable, or I'll have to start handing over to someone else?"

[blossom]

Travel

Unless it's truly, truly awful then I wouldn't try and get out early, I'd just wait to the end and not extend. However, I'm not going preach because I loathe my currently contract and have quit early, now working out my notice and hating every single second of it.

Being on site is very specific to each client, and how well set up they are culturally. Some are total skype and IM users, others culturally operate by sitting face to face and walking across the office to talk to each other. You have to explore that culture before you join. ALso, some roles are more conducive to home working than others.

Re: your situation though. Because of my location (a long way from any city), I always have to travel and alwyas try to negotiate some home working. The interview usually goes along the lines of me asking if I can work from home, but telling them that I would gladly work full time in their office for the first few weeks, while we establish the trust that is needed for home working. I accept this as part of the deal.

One one occasion this didn't quite work out and the guy didn't wan't me doing any home working (wasn't personal, he liked the whole team in the office every day). After 6 months of being away from my husband and kids from sunday night to friday night, i threw toys out of pram and said I wouldn't be renewing. They soon (i.e. immediately) changed their mind and promised me two days a week from that point.

My point is, if you want these perks of home working, you need to get to know them and establish some trust. When you have done that, people will be fair more flexible. Make yourself indispensable and when it comes round to renewal time, negotiate far better location terms.