Professional day - How many hours?

[dezze]

I'm don't think the concept of 'professional day' really should exist in the contract world...more to the permie (was a contractors for 12 years) consultants on client site. I am currently working for one of these companies as a permie and the term in my experience is meant to mean at least 1 hour over the hours you are paid for. So in theory, I would get paid for 7.5 and would be expected to work 8.5 for no extra pay. In fact I got a mail this morning on this very subject from the account mgr. When I was a contractor, I worked the hours I got paid for.

[ratewhore]

When I was a contractor, I worked the hours I got paid for.

IMHO, that makes you a bum on seat permatemp and you're being paid for being there rather than delivering anything.

But then, I'm not a dev or a tester so I guess it's easier for me to work the hours I want within a PWD...

[expat]

IMO both being paid by the hour, and being paid by the day but expecting that to be arithmetically equal a certain number of hours, are permie-think. However, many clients do think that way, and if they're paying me well I usually try to humour them. If I don't succeed at that, I suppose they will can me. If they need too much humouring, I'll leave at the end of the current contract period.

[TheFaQQer]

Who is giving you grief and what is the nature of the grief?

I work on the basis that if the client is unhappy about me working according to the contract then they're entirely free to terminate.

Peer-pressure, conformity, working for free, is for permies. You don't like my work? Get rid of me then.

WHS.

If you don't like it, talk to my boss...

Current client team lead is making snidey comments about the hours he works and the contractor scum work.

I just smile and remind him of the words "professional working day" - my contract mentions nothing about hours at all. I get the work done, on time, on budget, so STFU.

[NotAllThere]

...I just smile and remind him of the words "professional working day" - my contract mentions nothing about hours at all. I get the work done, on time, on budget, so STFU.

Don't forget to wear a white shirt with the pocket stuffed full of £20s.

[TheVoice]

just wondering - how is lunch hour treated in other contracts?

is it normally unpaid?

I for one consider lunch chargable time, but then I work on daily rates as standard. If I decide not to eat then the client gets the extra time worked, if I decide to eat, then the cash pays for a nice meal

[TheFaQQer]

Don't forget to wear a white shirt with the pocket stuffed full of £20s.

Indeed - always handy for if he asks for a light

[captcavey]

19 hour day?

So, I signed up to a PWD contract getting a day rate. IMO a PWD is around the 8 hour mark but I'm not holding a stopwatch to check on the time! This contract I just started had us in for an 8 hour induction day followed the next day (Friday) by a 19hr day (contract week goes from Thursday to Monday so working at weekends) Sat = 16hrs, Sun = 8 hrs, Mon = 12 hours.

I like to think I work hard. After all, it is my company that I'm showing off right? However, I am going to question these hours as my expectation would have been the following Thursday was given as a lieu day for the extra that had been done. Not so. I've been asked to be in Thursday for an 8 hour day 'because I'm getting paid for it'. Problem is, I then need 2 days sleep to get over the working week.

My question is - how does one approach the subject and to whom would you speak? The agent that got you the contract or to the manager of the company where you are working? What would you say to them? Interested to hear responses.

[psychocandy]

So, I signed up to a PWD contract getting a day rate. IMO a PWD is around the 8 hour mark but I'm not holding a stopwatch to check on the time! This contract I just started had us in for an 8 hour induction day followed the next day (Friday) by a 19hr day (contract week goes from Thursday to Monday so working at weekends) Sat = 16hrs, Sun = 8 hrs, Mon = 12 hours.

I like to think I work hard. After all, it is my company that I'm showing off right? However, I am going to question these hours as my expectation would have been the following Thursday was given as a lieu day for the extra that had been done. Not so. I've been asked to be in Thursday for an 8 hour day 'because I'm getting paid for it'. Problem is, I then need 2 days sleep to get over the working week.

My question is - how does one approach the subject and to whom would you speak? The agent that got you the contract or to the manager of the company where you are working? What would you say to them? Interested to hear responses.

World record longest thread resurrection lol.

But in answer, oh dear, didnt you sort this out before you signed the contract? If they're expecting what looks like shifts then you probably should have known how it all worked beforehand. Probably would have been better to do hourly rate.

Are you sure you were down for 19hours on one day though?

I had an interview once. Rate was OK but not great. Then it turned out to 4 day on 12 hours and 4 days off. And the PWD was just for the shift. Crap or what.

(Work it out - in 8 weeks you'd normally get 40 days but doing it this way its only 28 days and, havent worked it out, you're working more hours I think)

[missinggreenfields]

So, I signed up to a PWD contract getting a day rate. IMO a PWD is around the 8 hour mark but I'm not holding a stopwatch to check on the time! This contract I just started had us in for an 8 hour induction day followed the next day (Friday) by a 19hr day (contract week goes from Thursday to Monday so working at weekends) Sat = 16hrs, Sun = 8 hrs, Mon = 12 hours.

I like to think I work hard. After all, it is my company that I'm showing off right? However, I am going to question these hours as my expectation would have been the following Thursday was given as a lieu day for the extra that had been done. Not so. I've been asked to be in Thursday for an 8 hour day 'because I'm getting paid for it'. Problem is, I then need 2 days sleep to get over the working week.

My question is - how does one approach the subject and to whom would you speak? The agent that got you the contract or to the manager of the company where you are working? What would you say to them? Interested to hear responses.

Go in and sleep at your desk, charging them for your time?

Sounds unreasonable to me - what did they say at the interview when you asked about typical hours?