Professional day - How many hours?

[psychocandy]

I agree tbh - though it does seem like you book a day off but get paid for it? Which is a little messy, but it's always worth looking for a pragmatic solutions which keeps the client happy, your reputation intact, and ideally, allows you to bill more.

Completely agree. There's zero chance I'd do a 19 hour stint for the price of a PWD. Given that with some of my clients I can bill for a full day having done 5 hours, I'd look at that as nearly three days lost billing. I give a lot away for free to my clients, but no chance would I do that. Not even as a one-off.

Yeh the TOIL is a bit messy but it is what it is.

The 19 hour thing. Would I do this if it was planned. Not at all even if they sorted out a deal.

Would I do it the event of an emergency? Probably yes because there may well not be time to sort anything out. I would then expect client afterwards to agree to something (even if its TOIL in my case). If they deemed that it was tough luck then next "emergency" would see me not doing 19 hours.

Only ever happened to me once. 1st time was about 20 hour day but client played funny buggers and although not saying no pretty much hinted that it was tough luck PWD. I was a bit miffed because I'd got them out of tulip street big time.

Next time there was a minor emergency. Not as bad. As it was I had personal stuff on so I couldn't stay anyway but I pretty much made it clear that I wasn't willing to do a 20 hour stint again.

Next day, the client had a grown up discussion about it with me and even offered to let me bill an extra day and half for the previous emergency. I think without me not doing it for free the 2nd time, they'd have merrily carried on expecting it.

[psychocandy]

I agree tbh - though it does seem like you book a day off but get paid for it? Which is a little messy, but it's always worth looking for a pragmatic solutions which keeps the client happy, your reputation intact, and ideally, allows you to bill more.

Completely agree. There's zero chance I'd do a 19 hour stint for the price of a PWD. Given that with some of my clients I can bill for a full day having done 5 hours, I'd look at that as nearly three days lost billing. I give a lot away for free to my clients, but no chance would I do that. Not even as a one-off.

Dodgy yes. I've not had non-billable day (apart from bank holidays) this calendar year so its been worthwhile for me.

[GillsMan]

Dodgy yes. I've not had non-billable day (apart from bank holidays) this calendar year so its been worthwhile for me.

Not sure I'd describe it as dodgy tbh. Slightly on the messy side, but not dodgy. Dodgy would be ripping a client off, which isn't what's happening when you book a day off but invoice for it to claim a TOIL day as a contractor. Obvs this works better when client is fully aware!

I avoid it tbh, but I'm certainly not averse to rounding up a half day to a full day when billing to compensate for the hour here and the hour there that I've not invoiced for. Swings, roundabouts, etc. My clients are very happy with the work I do, they do notice that I've spent an hour on some times working on something and not billed for it, and I'm happy because on occasion I round up the time spent.

But then, I think I'm really being paid to deliver results: not be a BOS.

[Old Greg]

Yeh the TOIL is a bit messy but it is what it is.

The 19 hour thing. Would I do this if it was planned. Not at all even if they sorted out a deal.

Would I do it the event of an emergency? Probably yes because there may well not be time to sort anything out. I would then expect client afterwards to agree to something (even if its TOIL in my case). If they deemed that it was tough luck then next "emergency" would see me not doing 19 hours.

Only ever happened to me once. 1st time was about 20 hour day but client played funny buggers and although not saying no pretty much hinted that it was tough luck PWD. I was a bit miffed because I'd got them out of tulip street big time.

Next time there was a minor emergency. Not as bad. As it was I had personal stuff on so I couldn't stay anyway but I pretty much made it clear that I wasn't willing to do a 20 hour stint again.

Next day, the client had a grown up discussion about it with me and even offered to let me bill an extra day and half for the previous emergency. I think without me not doing it for free the 2nd time, they'd have merrily carried on expecting it.

Sounds like you're well inside IR35, matey.

[MrMarkyMark]

Sounds like you're well inside IR35, matey.

Bang to rights, especially as working practices trump the contract.
I hope he has good supplies of lube in

[psychocandy]

Seems to be a bit of a badge of honor on this forum recently.

I'm outside IR35 I am and definitely don't do BAU work, so I'm a better contractor than you are, so there....

We'll be putting pics of our todgers on here before long....

[northernladuk]

I'm outside IR35

I thought a couple of your posts proved this isn't quite true

I am and definitely don't do BAU work

I thought a couple of your posts proved this isn't quite true

I'm a better contractor than you are, so there....

8001 of your posts have proved beyond any doubt this is not true.

[SlipTheJab]

Had that at a previous client, project deadline meant they requested an extra day a week from some of the devs so that they could de-risk, option was to do an extra hour and a half a day (7.5 hours over the week) and invoice for Saturday to compensate, or come in and work on a Saturday, choose the former as didn't fancy 6 days a week in the office, a pragmatic approach and worked out very well for all concerned.

[Old Greg]

Seems to be a bit of a badge of honor on this forum recently.

I'm outside IR35 I am and definitely don't do BAU work, so I'm a better contractor than you are, so there....

We'll be putting pics of our todgers on here before long....

You've got awfully defensive recently. I was just making conversation.

[psychocandy]

I thought a couple of your posts proved this isn't quite true


I thought a couple of your posts proved this isn't quite true


8001 of your posts have proved beyond any doubt this is not true.

I was quoting what some of you lot say. I do some BAU work and aware that it might be an IR35.

My point is that some of you seem to look down on those of us who do BAU...