Rejecting a renewal.

[Muttley08]

Discretion is the better part etc...

Make some polite excuse not to extend if you don't want to. Some places hold quite detailed records of contractor's performance for future reference - don't tell em to sling it.

If the economy keeps going as it is - you might need all your contacts you can get...

[Zorba]

I can't believe some clients expect you to work only 10 hours a day. We're not part-timers you know!

Whatever next, "don't come in on weekends and bank holidays"!

Whilst that's acceptable at go-live, I'd find it somewhat unusual to have to be doing that on a regular basis.

Unless you're charging by the hour, of course.

[Cooperinliverp00l]

Any news on this story ??

[gadgetman]

In a similar vein, I am due to start a new contract on Monday. The stated hours are 35 per week and there is no mention of a 'professional day' in the contract.

At the interview they asked how I'd feel weeking extended hours or even weekends and I said okay in principle as long as not for extended periods.

Anyway after this I wanted to get something in writing about pay for extra hours/weekends. The agent has now made some noises about client expectations and a professional day though he has (at least) confirmed that any weekend work would be paid extra (only standard rate though). He also said that the client has stated that weekend work was very unlikely(??).

He's also confirmed that currently people on site are working around 40 hours. I've just raised my concern that if 'on the ground' expectations are that I should work 40 hours on a regular basis then that is at odds with what I am contracted to do.

I want to be reasonable and don't have a problem with occasional extra hours but if I'm expected to do this regularly then I won't be happy. I have a 2 hour commute (debated at length elsewhere on here) to do on top of my day, hence the attraction of the 35 hour week and my concerns.

Anyone else encountered this sort of thing? Do I need to get anything else in writing? I haven't signed anything yet...

[shelby68]

Well to add to the mix, the client have now told me they are changing the way that overtime is paid, the client are only paying half or full days overtime, and get this... they are going to round down anything that isn't a full or half day i.e. if I do 3 hours that will be rounded down to 0 and if I do 6 hours it gets rounded down to a half day, comedy,needless to say a)I'm looking for a new contract asap and b) not working overtime :-D

[vetran]

Sometimes its nice being permie! At least I know I'm being shafted.

Ask them if they mind you working 20 hours a week and paying you 40?

[NotAllThere]

Well to add to the mix, the client have now told me they are changing the way that overtime is paid, the client are only paying half or full days overtime, and get this... they are going to round down anything that isn't a full or half day i.e. if I do 3 hours that will be rounded down to 0 and if I do 6 hours it gets rounded down to a half day, comedy,needless to say a)I'm looking for a new contract asap and b) not working overtime :-D

We had something similar when I was a permie manager. I told the troups that if they worked an extra hour or two during the week, I wouldn't notice if they came in later than usual a few times. For Saturdays, it was amazing the number of times we worked 4.5 hours. Obviously because it was more than half a day, we had to have lunch (paid for by the company).

"You tell me how I'll be measured, and I'll tell you how I'll behave".