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

[jamesbrown]

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

The last part is not correct, in general. As a specialist (if you are one), the balance of power generally lies with you, not the client, and you generally won't accept T&Cs with arbitrary provisions that favour the client (of course, arbitrary provisions that favour you are perfectly acceptable ). But you do need to sort this at contract negotiation time, for sure. Even as a specialist, you have less leverage post-contract negotiation, unless you're willing to walk, and you don't really want a reputation for being a flaky cretin (clients are fishing from a small pool, so word gets around).

[northernladuk]

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.

Do you think either of your other options would have let you work such an exceptional bank holiday? You don't know. If you asked on here who is being allowed to work Monday (regardless of who actually wants to) I'll bet everything I got it's very very few people. Not working Monday is the sensible thing by far and one pissed of contractor won't make one iota of difference. Sometimes it sucks to be so far down the food chain that you've got to show professional courtesy to the person with the purse strings. Really sucks this delivering services to clients line of work doesn't it.

And would it affect my loyalty? Absolutely bleeding not. You are a supplier to a client who pays you. They are following protocol for an unprecedented situation that the rest of the country is following. Should I be less loyal to someone paying me over 100 grand a year over one exceptional day? Really?

What has judging an agency got to do with your client? Bit confused there.

[d000hg]

No actually, I think its an assumption

https://www.republic.org.uk

Oh, so made up nonsense. The queen was your queen whether you like it or not, that's the point. For that matter, the PM is still your PM even if you voted for the other one. Like those "not my president" idiots. Not liking the establishment doesn't mean you can simply opt out, you can only campaign for change.

On topic... If your contract says you work as you please then work. Otherwise you need to tell the client for politeness at the very least... a simple email "I plan to work remotely as normal as I do not typically observe public holidays" and if they don't reply then you're good. This would be polite in any case to my mind if the expectation is nobody is working, in such a small company.

[northernladuk]

Oh, so made up nonsense. The queen was your queen whether you like it or not, that's the point. For that matter, the PM is still your PM even if you voted for the other one. Like those "not my president" idiots. Not liking the establishment doesn't mean you can simply opt out, you can only campaign for change.

There is a ton of guff on there that could be debated for ever more but I'm sure there is a mod out there with her finger hovering over the big red button so I'm not going there.

[The Tall Designer]

In fairness he has form based on past experencies

I’m flattered you remember me but I have no idea who you are.

[The Tall Designer]

Oh, so made up nonsense. The queen was your queen whether you like it or not, that's the point. For that matter, the PM is still your PM even if you voted for the other one. Like those "not my president" idiots. Not liking the establishment doesn't mean you can simply opt out, you can only campaign for change.

They are literally the campaign for change.

On topic... If your contract says you work as you please then work. Otherwise you need to tell the client for politeness at the very least... a simple email "I plan to work remotely as normal as I do not typically observe public holidays" and if they don't reply then you're good. This would be polite in any case to my mind if the expectation is nobody is working, in such a small company.

It does say that, as mentioned I am merely looking for ways to phrase the politeness issue, I am also confident there are many people in the same position as me who have been caught unawares with a day’s pay going AWOL.

[The Tall Designer]

Do you think either of your other options would have let you work such an exceptional bank holiday? You don't know. If you asked on here who is being allowed to work Monday (regardless of who actually wants to) I'll bet everything I got it's very very few people. Not working Monday is the sensible thing by far and one pissed of contractor won't make one iota of difference. Sometimes it sucks to be so far down the food chain that you've got to show professional courtesy to the person with the purse strings. Really sucks this delivering services to clients line of work doesn't it.

And would it affect my loyalty? Absolutely bleeding not. You are a supplier to a client who pays you. They are following protocol for an unprecedented situation that the rest of the country is following. Should I be less loyal to someone paying me over 100 grand a year over one exceptional day? Really?

What has judging an agency got to do with your client? Bit confused there.

I think another company (they are always agencies, hence my reference to them, just the way I work on design projects) could be more flexible yes and so as I am able to ask for and get changes to contracts typically, I don’t see why I should not flex here - I see the relationship as a very equal one, I’m able to walk, they are able to terminate etc etc and I am quite happy with it.

Professional courtesy - again I refer to my original ask, thats what I am looking to do,show professional courtesy about meeting the letter of my contract and basically still working and billing Monday, regardless of my reasons for doing so (Entirely financial, if I was being paid to take the day off I’d spend it in the pub)

I am in the position of not having to take the first contract offered, thats when loyalty comes in to play. If I have a choice then everything an agency has done affects that choice, thats all there is to what I’m saying

[northernladuk]

I think another employer

Your what????

[The Tall Designer]

Your what????

Very appropriate explosion. I never said that…

[Lance]

Just work it.
Bill it.
And if they balk, terminate the contract immediately due to breach, and report them to HMRC for IR35 fraud as you should clearly have been inside all along.