Working away from home

[Nick1984]

Is it just me or does neone else hate working away from home, it's so depressing it's not funny.

[Fred Bloggs]

I have been weekly commuting to Surrey since March 2010. Current gig ends in a couple of weeks time and I have a new one lined up to follow on in Manchester. The new role is on about 55% of my current rate but I have to say, I think I will be glad to see the end of my current gig. It is hard working away, suit some folks more than others. My tolerance is getting lower with age.

[downsouth]

yep, tolerence is decreasing with time. Been on the road for 7 years to be honest and this will be my last contract that requires me to be away from home all week.

bored of hotels, eating out alone every night, renting rooms from numpties etc

what makes it worse is that a lappy and remote access are standard issue at current gig but mgmnt take a dislike to working from home, typical permie b0llox of your bum aint on a seat in the office means you aint doing any work!

Some clients just dont understand the work/life balance cos they get to go home at night etc

dont might daily commute on train as atleast i'll be home at night

[Fred Bloggs]

Good luck securing a local gig. I have been very fortunate lately since the last ~18 months has been truly dire in the NW (hence working in Surrey). However, in the last 6 weeks or so, there has been a huge upswing in opportunities here due in the main to two large and several smaller projects all starting at the same time. The turn round has been quite remarkable and I am looking forward now to about two years local work.

[kingcook]

I live in the NW, currently doing a local part-time gig in my home town. It's great.

I have done the live away from home thing last year, and have a new gig lined up starting in 2 months time, which will mean living away from the family in the London area Monday to Friday for 6 months, but the money is good, and when it's over i get to have many many many months off, doing something i always wanted to do (long to trip to Australia to visit family).

Yes it's a PITA, but try to look at the bright side!! If i was in a permie role i'd never get the chance to have the time off and visit Oz.

Still working on plan B (and C) in the meantime.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

As I have said in all my previous threads, I commuted long distances for all my previous contracts. I finally managed to get 2 offers locally (one ridiculously close). I accepted the one a bit further down the road and I can't explain how my life has changed. I used to suffer as a permie because of the financial side and boredom. Work and finance has been much better since I went contracting but my life has taken a hit due to spending half the time commuting. Now I have managed to get both right (better work and working close means better quality of life). I just hope this lasts for as long as possible to give me the warchest to sustain a decent holiday and then return to wait for another local gig.

[NotAllThere]

Working away from home is an occupational hazard in contracting. I used to live in the west country and got a contract in Kent. I then moved to Essex, and, naturally, my first contract after the move was in Somerset.

I never really liked it, but I found ways of making it bearable. Family run hotels, or lodging with decent folk. I never had an issue with eating alone, since there were always other contractors on site.

For the past five years I've been 20 minutes from home, at a premium rate. Long may it continue!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Working away from home is an occupational hazard in contracting. I used to live in the west country and got a contract in Kent. I then moved to Essex, and, naturally, my first contract after the move was in Somerset.

I never really liked it, but I found ways of making it bearable. Family run hotels, or lodging with decent folk. I never had an issue with eating alone, since there were always other contractors on site.

For the past five years I've been 20 minutes from home, at a premium rate. Long may it continue!

Good on you. I am hoping I can manage 5 years locally. If so, I can really start to think of plan B and relax financially. At the moment I am in suspended animation trying to build up that warchest.

[Project Monkey]

I've been away for the last 10 months. Don't have a problem whilst I'm away, but its the lack of time at home I struggle with. Its the little things you would normally do in the evenings that you don't have time to do at weekends.

[Pogle]

Sadly me and my family are used to it.
But I do take a lot of holidays and I only stay away 3 nights.
I'm well into my second year at clientoco and have just signed up for another 7 months.

I do happen to love what I do and am enjoying this project immensely - which helps a great deal