Ir35?

[wantacontract]

1.5 months into the contract, client suddenly mails me and asks me to provide a weekly breakdown of what I've been doing, work products and so forth, and how a timesheet is not enough.....

If I do provide one, will that bring me into IR35??

Week1 - PID, Project Plan, etc
Week2 - 4 meetings....

[ratewhore]

tell em to feck off. Or - if you don't want to be so blunt, tell em it will take you x hours to produce that information at a cost of y pounds + VAT...

[TheFaQQer]

Day 1 - 8 hours development
Day 2 - 8 hours development

Repeat.

[boxman]

I'd be a bit careful of this kind of request...

If something goes wrong in a project, is delivered outside spec or late then you might be on a hiding to nothing if they're looking to blame someone or offload you for some reason.

I would take the developing 8 hours a day line plus the offer to keep more detailed notes in the future but regrettably as this is a new requirement then the information they've requested isn't available retrospectively. I don't see an IR35 issue here either way as they're not (currently) providing direction just requiring more detailed record keeping.

Be cautious and see if you can find out if there's a subtext here.

[_V_]

1.5 months into the contract, client suddenly mails me and asks me to provide a weekly breakdown of what I've been doing, work products and so forth, and how a timesheet is not enough.....

If I do provide one, will that bring me into IR35??

Week1 - PID, Project Plan, etc
Week2 - 4 meetings....

They usually ask for this about a week before they tell you to leave.

Some manager has asked "And what exactly has X been doing whilst the project has been slipping into oblivion?"

[thunderlizard]

That shouldn't make you IR35-fodder if you weren't already. especially if you put it on your headed paper and make it into an itemised invoice.

[expat]

They usually ask for this about a week before they tell you to leave.

Some manager has asked "And what exactly has X been doing whilst the project has been slipping into oblivion?"

.... and there is no good answer, because it's not really a question.

[BlasterBates]

I diasagree here, the client is asking for deliverables, can't think of a better way to demonstrate you're outside IR35, particularly as I have the impression you'll not be using the clients standard timesheet facility, can't imagine that the client's permies are doing this.

[despot]

there are two interpretations to the request:

(1) your client does't have a clue what you are doing ... which is bad, because you there to add value (providing a breakdown of tasks, deliverables, etc shows that you are working to a plan ... which is good)

(2) your client is under pressure to update his peers on progress. In which case your client is a lazy sod and doesn't have a clue what your doing so has delegated the task down to his reports to give him the data.

Either way, providing this information should not be a drag. As a professional you need to be one step ahead of the enemy (e.g. the client) and be able to out pace them when called upon. It's good character building stuff.

If anything it helps you with IR35 as you have been contracted to deliver a service as measured by these deliverables and not as body shop employee who has no accountabilities or deliverables. cynical perhaps!

[wantacontract]

yeah..

the project hasn't been going well...it was delayed by 9 months before I even went on board!!!

oh well..nevermind...back to jobserve if the axe should fall....