"Can you work a bit longer please."

[Scrag Meister]

Using the plumber example I managed to get the plumber to paint my bathroom ceiling for free. So doing an extra hour now and again is fine.

However continually doing 9 hour days when you are only paid for 8 hours (unless you waste an equivalent of an hour or more a day on sites like this) is acting like a charity.

As I said the contract states "professional day", and they pay a professional day's rate for 8 hours.

Where does being professional become being a mug?

[SorenLorensen]

If they want you to work longer, then they should be paying for it. Working longer hours for no recompense is a permie trait. Fair enough doing it once or twice, but you're running a business. Effectively they're looking to change your contract, and therefore they need to stump up.

To me this looks like direction and control as well.

[Lumiere]

"Professional day" is when you do 4 hrs today, 12 hrs tomorrow and 7 hrs day after tomorrow. Works well for me.

[jmo21]

Interestingly enough, when you start saying "it's not in my contract" etc, that's when the permies reeeeeaaalllllyyyy start to hate the contractors.

Getting paid huge money, and not having to work extra hours?!?! barstewards!!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I think the market is currently strong enough (for most types of roles) for you to be the boss in this kind of a situation. Normally in this kind of a situation the worst they can do is not renew (big deal if you can line up another contract). The absolute worst they can do is tell you to go home (which I doubt they would do if the workload is already really high).

Look at it this way: you only live once - the extra hours your spending at work - are they really worth it? Unless you live to work then I really doubt it.

Unless you would struggle to get your next role I can't really see the problem with you taking charge in this situation.

[russell]

I think the market is currently strong enough (for most types of roles) for you to be the boss in this kind of a situation. Normally in this kind of a situation the worst they can do is not renew (big deal if you can line up another contract). The absolute worst they can do is tell you to go home (which I doubt they would do if the workload is already really high).

Look at it this way: you only live once - the extra hours your spending at work - are they really worth it? Unless you live to work then I really doubt it.

Unless you would struggle to get your next role I can't really see the problem with you taking charge in this situation.

One problem in the Bobs who are working till 10pm for half your rate making you look bad...that is until they look at what they have produced.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

One problem in the Bobs who are working till 10pm for half your rate making you look bad...that is until they look at what they have produced.

depends on the line. Some lines have no bobs, some have a lot. Even with the bobs, market not too bad atm for most lines.

[SueEllen]

As I said the contract states "professional day", and they pay a professional day's rate for 8 hours.

Where does being professional become being a mug?

Your professional day is 8 hours.

Working 9 hours consistently (unless you waste an equivalent of an hour or more a day doing your own business whether that be web surfing, training or talking on the phone) is giving them 5 hours free a week or 2.5 days of your time for free a month.

Think of what else you could do with those hours as even if you are stuck in a hotel you could do an open university module with that time.

[NotAllThere]

One problem in the Bobs who are working till 10pm for half your rate making you look bad...that is until they look at what they have produced.

They don't work until 10pm. They're merely in the office until then. What they do, once everyone has gone home, is compare notes, and work on consolidating themselves within the client.

[configman]

They don't work until 10pm. They're merely in the office until then. What they do, once everyone has gone home, is compare notes, and work on consolidating themselves within the client.

If you work in one of those offices where they track your calls you will soon find out that the bobs are using other poeples phones to make long distance calls after hours. Lock your phone if you can.