Clients demanding permie working hours

**Mich the Tester** · 27 May 2009, 08:31

Originally posted by chicane View Post

What exactly do the clients get out of trying to control people in this way?

An ego massage and a false sense of security. Remember though that people will do anything to defend their delusion; just look at the fundamentalist muslims. Ergo, as a businessman you have a choice; you can destroy their delusion and lose their custom or you can maintain their delusion and make a tulipload of money out of it. The reality is usually some compromise in between.

**SlimRick** · 27 May 2009, 08:31

Because it probably fits in around their working day. I'd say it's a pretty fair request personally, and not unusual in my experience.

**Rody** · 27 May 2009, 08:34

And generally once you're on a project, there's usually some flexibility around this anyway...

**DaveB** · 27 May 2009, 08:39

Depends on the client and the job.

A lot of old school engineering companies have fixed working practices left over from the union days and would need you to work the same hours in order to be available when the permies were.

If the permies work those hours and you need to work with them to fulfill the role then you pretty much have to work those hours as well.

They may also have had bad experiences with contractors taking the piss over "flexible" working and want to avoid a repeat.

**chicane** · 27 May 2009, 08:43

Originally posted by SlimRick View Post

Because it probably fits in around their working day. I'd say it's a pretty fair request personally, and not unusual in my experience.

I can understand this if their office opens at 9 on the dot and closes at 5 on the dot and would consider this reasonable.

What I cannot comprehend for one moment is the ridiculous demand that I take lunch at a fixed time for a fixed period. There is no excuse or valid business reason for this - the business will not lose out in any way if my lunch doesn't coincide with that of others. It's just control for the sake of control.

Just as a sidenote, clients also need to start understanding that you don't get the best out of project staff by tying them to fixed hours in this way. I can't speak for others, but I'm far more productive I choose what hours to work, compared to those situations where I'm tied to some pointless control-freak regime.

I guess I've just been spoilt by being with current ClientCo for the last 2 years - excellent rate plus the flexibility to work the hours that fit my lifestyle.

**Mich the Tester** · 27 May 2009, 08:50

If a client wants me to turn up at 9 then I’ll do that, but they’ll have to accept that my brain doesn’t get into gear before about 11 and I’m most productive after 5 when everyone else has gone home.

If they want to pay me to spend the first two hours of the day drinking coffee and having a long dump then that's their choice.

**thelace** · 27 May 2009, 10:29

The client pays the bills and as long as their demands aren't too excessive (and believe me these aren't) they get what they want.

**Elevator_Music** · 27 May 2009, 11:00

In this climate, personally I wouldn't grumble if the rate was good. I have worked in Japanese based companies before which had very strange working hours (07.55 start, and 16.40 Finnish) which EVERYONE in the company worked to. Was a bit strange at first but to be honest I got to fit around it. I think allot of productivity was lost when everyone downed tools at 16.40 but thats the way they wanted to do it!

**chicane** · 27 May 2009, 12:05

Originally posted by Elevator_Music View Post

In this climate, personally I wouldn't grumble if the rate was good.

My sentiments exactly - but the pimp wanted to have his cake and eat it. I offered a higher rate with fixed permie hours, or a lower rate with flexible hours.

He wasn't prepared to accept either.

Clients demanding permie working hours