How to phrase "I'm still working and billing on Monday 19th"

[The Tall Designer]

orget the bit about it being the Queen, that's irrelevant. It's a bank holiday so assume normal bank holiday rules apply so no different to any other one.

Oh you're 100% right, the only relevant part is that it's a bank holiday and I want to work it, the same way I might with any other

[SimonMac]

Ask away, question is what will you do when the say no (which they will)

I'll bet a pound to a penny your conract will say something like this...

The Company shall not be obliged to pay the Service Provider for any periods during which the Consultancy Services are not provided, whether this is due to the Service Provider being unable to provide the Consultancy Services or where the Client does not require the Consultancy Services (for any part of the Assignment) or otherwise in respect of holidays, illness or absence of the Service Provider.

Client doesn't need you as they are closed, end of thread, same as if you wanted to work weekends or similar

[TheDude]

We had a lead architect who was one of those cock sure guys that had been there that long he knew everything and was the one single point of failure despite being a contractor. Loud, pretty arrogant, thinks he's unreplaceable and rules didn't apply to him. I've not worked at a single client where there hasn't been one of these types. I'm sure you've seen them.

Usually the same person who likes to let everyone know about their sports car, share in a light aircraft and how financially shrewd they are.

[The Tall Designer]

Ask away, question is what will you do when the say no (which they will)

I'll bet a pound to a penny your conract will say something like this...

Client doesn't need you as they are closed, end of thread, same as if you wanted to work weekends or similar

Well, if I had a job that relied on the entire team being in for me to be able to work that might be a thing - but I don't

I probably do have a clause like that - it's not about the clause it's about me not wanting to be forced to take a day off, for a cause I am not interested in, when there is a financial penalty to me doing so - and how my personal loyalty to this contract will be further reduced if they say no

Innit.

[northernladuk]

Ask away, question is what will you do when the say no (which they will)

I'll bet a pound to a penny your conract will say something like this...



Client doesn't need you as they are closed, end of thread, same as if you wanted to work weekends or similar

Absolutely this. I've wanted to work plenty of ad hoc bank holidays where i'm not doing anything better. I also hate not working in between Christmas for personal reasons. If you've got anything about you you should be able to pick up on the clients flexibility around this and in many cases it's pretty clear it's an unpopular ask so just swallow it and go with the flow. It's just not worth one days billing to take a request to a client that is clearly against bank hol working as a practice for personal reasons only IMO.

forced to take a day off, for a cause I am not interested in, when there is a financial penalty to me doing so - and how my personal loyalty to this contract will be further reduced if they say no

Again, you've got to forget the cause. It is what it is and it's one day in 70 years and 314 days. You might not agree with it but you can still show respect and you can respect your client for wanting to do so. Just because you don't believe in it isn't enough for you to make yourself look like a tit. We are contractors, financial penalties for the unknown is why we get paid shed loads. And if your personal loyalty is affected by one day that the client has to abide by, bearing in mind you are a very well paid supplier, then again, you need to get over yourself.

IMO the problem here is you. Not your client or the monarchy. You are just making trouble for yourself for next to no reason whatsoever.

It's a day you want to work, you suggest to your client that you are available as you need to deliver X and Y. This day is an interruption to your plans so you would prefer to work it if possible thank you. See what they say, expecting a no and if they yes happy days. There is nothing else to it.

[SimonMac]

Well, if I had a job that relied on the entire team being in for me to be able to work that might be a thing - but I don't

I probably do have a clause like that - it's not about the clause it's about me not wanting to be forced to take a day off, for a cause I am not interested in, when there is a financial penalty to me doing so - and how my personal loyalty to this contract will be further reduced if they say no

Innit.

If you want to be your own boss, be self employed. Like really self employed, but you're not, you are a contractor and such your working practices will be based on that contract and the balance of power will always be with the people who are holding the purse strings

[SimonMac]

IMO the problem here is you. Not your client or the monarchy. You are just making trouble for yourself for next to no reason whatsoever.

In fairness he has form based on past experencies

[The Tall Designer]

IMO the problem here is you. Not your client or the monarchy. You are just making trouble for yourself for next to no reason whatsoever.

Honestly I think you could be showing your personal feelings here too much - I am asking specifically about how to phrase the information about how to inform my current contract that I am working on an unexpected bank holiday. I included my own reasons, half way through the thread, for context, nothing else.

As for how it affects my loyalty - wouldn't it affect yours? If I have two contracts to chose from when this is renewed, and I was faced with challenges with working my contract to the letter on one of them, then yes, I would be less loyal. I move around all the time, 3-6 months and I always judge an agency on how they treat me with contracts, invoicing, paying me on time and all the rest.

Regardless - having a bun fight with a stranger on the internet is not what I am here for and no doubt you're not either so lets not go down that path

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I'm going to say I am going to work Monday unless there are any firm objections and tell them what work I will be doing and how important it is to be done (synthesising the background research on the project before we do more of our own and how we won't hit spring goals otherwise)

[The Tall Designer]

It's a day you want to work, you suggest to your client that you are available as you need to deliver X and Y. This day is an interruption to your plans so you would prefer to work it if possible thank you. See what they say, expecting a no and if they yes happy days. There is nothing else to it.

I replied before your edit, basically yes, I'm going to do this (and the response will affect my feelings on taking a renewal in the future)

[SimonMac]

Honestly I think you could be showing your personal feelings here too much - I am asking specifically about how to phrase the information about how to inform my current contract that I am working on an unexpected bank holiday. I included my own reasons, half way through the thread, for context, nothing else.

You have been given advice, it's not what you wanted to hear, I think it shows a lot about you