Contracted Hours vs Expected

**NotAllThere** · 13 June 2023, 17:37

Run away. If your rate is, e.g. £50 per hour and a standard working week is 40 hours, that's £2000. If in addition you're doing an extra 20 hours a week unpaid, that's your rate dropped to £34 an hour.

**JustKeepSwimming** · 13 June 2023, 18:05

30 hours extra a month? Surely can't be a week!

There is no right or wrong answer really. It's personal choice and you have to accept the potential risks of that choice.

But yeah, I would be looking for another role ASAP.

**Fraidycat** · 13 June 2023, 18:05

1. Can anyone advise what I can do? Besides ‘work the hours or quit’?

Those are pretty much your options.

Another option might be to not agree to those terms either verbally or in writing. But start informally working those hours, then over time reduce your hours back to your contracted hours and let them go through the hassle of firing you, if they can be bothered to at that stage. You probably don't want to quit the contract yourself, not unless you have something else lined up, the market is tulipe at the moment.

**sreed** · 13 June 2023, 18:11

I don't do office based contracts so can't say that I've been in your shoes.

What you should do depends on whether or not you want to work long hours. If not then you need to have a conversation with the client.

If yes, then consider whether the day-rate is sufficiently high to compensate for the longer hours, ie is it fair pay in your opinion.

If this kind of gig usually pays £600pd but this client is paying £800pd, that would be different from a £600pd gig where you're expected to work 20% extra, if that makes sense.

Ultimately only you can judge what's 'fair'.

**northernladuk** · 13 June 2023, 23:02

Originally posted by contractoradvice656 View Post

1. Can anyone advise what I can do? Besides ‘work the hours or quit’?

That's two options but you really only have one. You quit. This is the tip of the iceberg. Wait until a deadline hits and you'll be doing the max and more without a doubt. Guess what will happen when you want time off that doesn't suit them. You start pushing back a bit, guess what will happen.

You've started in a toxic work environment so work the hours is not an option because it's not going to be just that. You are going to be utterly miserable there so leave now.

Oh, and slap the other contractor round the back of the head and tell them they are an utter disgrace putting up with it and making it worse for ever other contract that joins.

**hobnob** · 13 June 2023, 23:43

Originally posted by contractoradvice656 View Post

1. Can anyone advise what I can do? Besides ‘work the hours or quit’?

The 3rd option would be work to rule (aka "quiet quitting"). I.e. you tell the client that you'll only work standard hours, which are hopefully specified in your contract. If you need to justify this, point out that you don't get bonuses, pay rises, or promotions (unlike permanent staff). You could also ask the agency to have that conversation on your behalf, since you don't work for the client directly.

It's possible that the client will fire you on the spot, so this would end up the same as quitting, but there's a chance that they'll grumble and accept it.

Whatever you decide, it's best to do it quickly. The longer you postpone the decision, the more difficult it will be.

**eek** · 14 June 2023, 05:51

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

You've started in a toxic work environment so work the hours is not an option because it's not going to be just that. You are going to be utterly miserable there so leave now.

1000% what NLUK says...

**dsc** · 14 June 2023, 07:36

Originally posted by contractoradvice656 View Post

Started a new (inside) contract on Monday, the MD I’m reporting to has stated on the 1st day ‘our working hours are x to x’, which amount to 10hrs (work hrs) over my contracted hours, on top of this ‘there’s an expectation’ to come in early & ‘we like to all leave together’ which is +2-4 hours per day (on top of the ‘our working hours’), so that brings things upto roughly 10-30hrs above my contracted (weekly) hours. [...]

but I don’t want to ruffle feathers.[...]

Well do you want to earn less? then carry on, if not I'd just tell them you are contracted to do X hours a day and do that.

Are you "special" in any way as in have niche skills that no one else in the team has? if so, then it might work, if not, then I'd start looking for a new contract, assuming you don't like this whole arrangement.

Also lol at ‘we like to all leave together’

**TheDude** · 14 June 2023, 07:58

Originally posted by contractoradvice656 View Post

Started a new (inside) contract on Monday, the MD I’m reporting to has stated on the 1st day ‘our working hours are x to x’, which amount to 10hrs (work hrs) over my contracted hours, on top of this ‘there’s an expectation’ to come in early & ‘we like to all leave together’ which is +2-4 hours per day (on top of the ‘our working hours’), so that brings things upto roughly 10-30hrs above my contracted (weekly) hours. The one other contractor who is there is doing the excessive hours out of fear of not fitting in/losing his contract.
I spoke to the recruitment agency, they said they’d have to speak to the Hiring Manager, but I don’t want to ruffle feathers.

1. Can anyone advise what I can do? Besides ‘work the hours or quit’?

2. if you’ve been in the situation can you share your experience & what you did?

Let me guess, a US bank?

your perm colleagues bonuses will be aligned with the hours they are perceived to work.

As a contractor you do not receive a bonus (although I have heard spme braggard contractors claim that every day is bonus day despite being on £600pd).

Explain this to the MD and work your contracted hours until something is said.

Contracted Hours vs Expected