Flexible working

[bobspud]

My current place has what I like to call a discriminatory WFH policy. One contractor is 100% working from home, another does 1 day a week, whereas I have been refused. Will be my main reason for rejecting any extension.

No handbagging or abuse intended however. WFH is a serious placement of trust. If they are not giving it to you, then you need to get an explanation and rectify whatever you are doing wrong before you dump the contract. I have seen others dragged in to offices in the past while I have had freedom to come and go. It's normally that they have gained a reputation for being a lazy bastard. (not saying thats you problem at all.) But IF others are viewing you in a less than perfect light then you need to sort it and PRONTO.

My rule of thumb is NO internet access on site EVER. Not even at lunch. I do the work stuff as hard as possible and then save the visits here for days off site.

A colleague got sacked on a previous job for leaving the Register open all day. he wasn't reading it, he just kept it to one side while waiting for stuff. But that was enough to earn him the reputation.

[rd409]

No handbagging or abuse intended however. WFH is a serious placement of trust. If they are not giving it to you, then you need to get an explanation and rectify whatever you are doing wrong before you dump the contract. I have seen others dragged in to offices in the past while I have had freedom to come and go. It's normally that they have gained a reputation for being a lazy bastard. (not saying thats you problem at all.) But IF others are viewing you in a less than perfect light then you need to sort it and PRONTO.

My rule of thumb is NO internet access on site EVER. Not even at lunch. I do the work stuff as hard as possible and then save the visits here for days off site.

A colleague got sacked on a previous job for leaving the Register open all day. he wasn't reading it, he just kept it to one side while waiting for stuff. But that was enough to earn him the reputation.

I don't do anything else apart from work stuff for the first week or so. Set a benchmark for the client for the work that can be done in a day's worth. Once the client is happy with what you do, then it's a bit relaxed I guess, as the client can then relate to the amount of work decreasing if you are spending too much time elsewhere.
I would rather not let client dictate what sites I can browse during the day, apart from those that are blocked by the firewall. I've got my iphone and the bog breaks for that....

[SueEllen]

In my experience big corporate companies are all geared up for home working while smaller companies are still a bit backward.

I have a different experience where it doesn't particularly matter on the size of the company.

The main criteria for being able to work from home is company senior management attitude. If the senior manager(s) in the company think it's a good idea then they will set it up security wise so you can work from home.


In fact many companies use it as an excuse now to save money on office space. If you can get as many staff as possible to work from home as much as possible then you can get away with a smaller office.

[Pogle]

I give myself a couple of months into a new contract to 'prove my worth' as it were. Then I start asking about WFH. I currently front load my week and do longer hours on Mon to wed then I leave early on Thurs drive home and do about 3hrs on Friday morning. Also when I've had to stay home due to snow or whatever It is very handy to be able to work and still invoice.
At work I work very hard and as a previous poster mentioned I actively avoid having internet access in the office.
When I'm WFH I am contactable and answer emails and calls straight away. I also send an update to customer about half an hour before I log off.
I've been at clientco for 2 years now and the project is starting to wind down. They're not renewing contracts - and the team is shrinking, but I'm being kept on til July. I do my job well and don't take the piss, and it seems to pay off.

[stek]

We had WFH on one major project - think 'backbone' and 'health' and 'Gov'....

2 days a week usually but one network guy took the piiss and did five....

"Mate, need port 1521 open from x to y..."

"Soz, I'm in B&Q picking me kitchen up"

or

"Soz, I'm at M/cr airport picking me mate up...."

Balloon....

[TheFaQQer]

At interview, if it's a stay away, then I set the scene that I won't be in at 9 on a Monday, and they won't see me on a Friday afternoon, as I'll be travelling.

After that, if the project is amenable to it, then I'll broach the subject of WFH if I think it will come off. My first contract, right at the start, I said "any problem with me working from home on Fridays?" and they were fine with it. This contract is 100% WFH - have never met the client in the 13 months that I've been here. We have regular emails and a weekly conference call, but I'm left to my own devices.

Previous project, I signed up having been told that it was WFH Fridays, and then they changed the rules in week one because the end client wanted to see people. The fact that it was another 6 months before I actually met anyone from the end client was neither here nor there

[TheFaQQer]

I'm currently working for a well known flat pack company in Sweden.

Can you get me a discount?