Enforced Holidays

[Mephisto]

Barclays has a year end change freeze starting end of November until the new year so its hard to actually do any work in this period anyway.

It starts off gradually and becomes an absolute shutdown of work unless critical over xmas so the 2 week break is fine by me, especially as we were expecting a lot longer.

Can't believe some grumble about this

[Jeebo72]

xmas was great last year at the IB I was at, did nowt, no one was in, long lunches, left early. So no wonder.

[psychocandy]

Yep. Last place I worked as permie made contractors take time off from first week in Dec until Jan.

[northernladuk]

Barclays has a year end change freeze starting end of November until the new year so its hard to actually do any work in this period anyway.

It starts off gradually and becomes an absolute shutdown of work unless critical over xmas so the 2 week break is fine by me, especially as we were expecting a lot longer.

Can't believe some grumble about this :confused:

Because they are disguised permies expecting to be paid every day of the contract and to be able to use terms like holidays instead of being aware they are providing a service to meet a clients needs and business style. Should go back to permie (or whatever people expect me to say all the time now)

[redgiant]

Because they are disguised permies expecting to be paid every day of the contract and to be able to use terms like holidays instead of being aware they are providing a service to meet a clients needs and business style. Should go back to permie (or whatever people expect me to say all the time now)

I'm not sure my clientco is going to do the same as they have been asking for volunteers (I was conveniently absent in another meeting ) to take a few days non billable so they may enforce some time off next month.

If this sort of thing happens each year I wonder why they don't just include it in the contract? I suppose they don't want the contractor to find another short contract for those days (if you can get one that lasts just a month or 10 days).

Here is an idea - for those having to take enforced time off perhaps use some of that time to work for a charity on a project - Home - iT4Communities. I have done some work with them in the past when I was a permie consultant and would recommend it.

[northernladuk]

If this sort of thing happens each year I wonder why they don't just include it in the contract? I suppose they don't want the contractor to find another short contract for those days (if you can get one that lasts just a month or 10 days).

They do include it in your contract. It's the bit about MOO (or lack off) and one of the reasons they choose a flexible solution (i.e. contractors).

God I sound like Mal.

[Bumfluff]

RBS is 10 days and it can be any 10 days from 1st Oct to 31 Dec and you can include the 2 banks hols over xmas in that so only really 8 days off. However this is in additional to the forced compliance leave of 2 weeks applicable for all contractors / consultants.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Barclays you mean? Its no secret. Think it's actually 10 days before the end of the year on top of a 'take it or leave it' 10% rate cut. Lots of grumbling about it but pretty much everyone is swallowing it by all accounts. Not there myself but I know quite a few people working out of Radbroke Hall.

I am one of those guys. The place is emptying out pretty quickly. Arrived at 9:40am today and didn't have any trouble finding a parking space. Usually by 9:15 they are all gone.

[d000hg]

Business or no business, it is a slightly weird situation if it wasn't planned when you signed up - the implicit agreement is you'll work 5 days a week unless something unusual happens on either side. If your work finishes early Dec and they don't have anything new, fine... but suggesting all contractors neatly finish all work the same day really IS a 'holiday' - most of them probably will be leaving un-finished work for January so clearly the client DOES have work to do.

Anyway - does anyone know WHY they do this? Trying to make December balance look better? Assuming so many permies are on holiday that managing contractors efficiently will be too hard?

[SussexSeagull]

I always thought the city more or less closed down over Christmas anyway?

Granted about a decade since I worked up there.