An unwanted day off....

[TheFaQQer]

Although irrelevant to this debate I have to point out that you can make permies take a day off without pay as long as it is explicitly stated in their Ts & Cs. An example would be where you give an employee an annual leave allowance on the understanding that certain days have to be taken at certain times (e.g. if the office is closed for a week at Christmas, or in the case of a nanny they should take x weeks at the same time as the family takes their holiday). If they haven't got enough leave allowance left to take that time off then you can make them take the time off and not pay them.

I had that in my last permie job.

I had a holiday allowance, three days of which HAD to be between Christmas and New Year, as the site would be shut.

[Gonzo]

I had that in my last permie job.

I had a holiday allowance, three days of which HAD to be between Christmas and New Year, as the site would be shut.

This is common in the building trade too.

A mate of mine is a Quantity Surveyor and the whole company shuts down between Christmas and New Year, forcing all the staff to use some annual leave.

[tim123]

Am I being tight?!?

Yes.

If you don't have enough money in the bank not to be able to afford to have a few days off, you shouldn't have started contracting. What will you do for money if you have an enforced break of three months due to (say) a broken leg.

tim

[tim123]

This is common in the building trade too.

.

I thought that this was common everwhere (except in Shops/Pubs/similar). Every job that I have ever had (except in a shop) has completely closed down for a week (or more) at Xmas.

tim

[Bluebird]

My company shuts down over Christmas, and I've informed all my clients of this.

They are quite happy.

[TheFaQQer]

My company shuts down over Christmas, and I've informed all my clients of this.

They are quite happy.

Ditto.

Apart from them being quite happy, as they want me to work.

Oh well - only 8 more working days this year...

[Gonzo]

I thought that this was common everwhere (except in Shops/Pubs/similar). Every job that I have ever had (except in a shop) has completely closed down for a week (or more) at Xmas.

tim

Financial Services firms will only be closed for the bank holidays.

This Christmas will be the first one since 1995 where I have not worked between Christmas and the New Year. (And I won't be working only because I will not be working much at all this December or January.)

[Denny]

I've also been told I can't work over Christmas. Original reason was that the site is closed, but when I stated I would work at home I was told that everyone in the programme needed to take a break and so I wouldn't be allowed to do so! I know that it is really an attempt to try to save money and also because they don't trust a number of the contractors and consultants to actually work when they are not on site. either way I'm not happy, I'd rather take the time off but I am snowed with stuff to do and by taking the time off I will end up coming back to shedloads of pressure in January, so it is hardly going to allow me to relax!

WA, I assume that your contract is inside ir35. If that is so, then it doesn't make a slightest bit of difference whether you've been told to come in or not except that it inconveniences you to be told you can't work.

If your written terms were agreed with the client to be outside ir35 then you should be working to your terms, which should include no direction and control, as stipulated in the lower and upper contracts, not agreeing to one set of terms and effectively working to another by subtle or even overt coercion, otherwise you still risk being caught in the event of an investigation or at least have an investigation dragged out longer than necessary, if the written terms are regarded as a sham. If that is happening, I would insist that the end client puts in writing or better still write to the end client rep you tend to work to, on your own letterhead confirming what they've said - that the site will be shut and have been refused the option of working over Xmas - so they can sign it off giving you a handy paper audit to file away. Even that won't be foolproof, if the Gordo nosies question the general patterns regarding enforced leave and find out that they made you an exception over others with similar contract terms (I assume they may cross check) but it's better than not having anything at all.

[tay]

I am working the 24th and the rest of the company is, I donty mind as its easy money and shows I am not like a permie.

[SueEllen]

I thought that this was common everwhere (except in Shops/Pubs/similar). Every job that I have ever had (except in a shop) has completely closed down for a week (or more) at Xmas.

tim

Nope companies that have worldwide clients in any industry who provide support for them don't close down. Even if you don't do support you are expected to finish off projects if you don't take the days off.