Working hours

[BA to the Stars]

So why did you take the contract? To the client, you are just a facility to be used and they do not give a damn about your personal circumstances, they have enough to worry about with their permie resource.

I am not wishing to be confrontational but am looking at it from the client perspective. Prior to renewal time, I would look for a role with a shorter commute / working hours.

[northernladuk]

Would be interesting to see what else they don't let you do from an IR35 perspective though. Could open a bit of a can of worms. If it is just working times and you can't have flexibility as no one else does you might be able to work your way around it (IR35 wise) but is thsi the only thing they won't budge on?

[simplicity]

Would be interesting to see what else they don't let you do from an IR35 perspective though. Could open a bit of a can of worms. If it is just working times and you can't have flexibility as no one else does you might be able to work your way around it (IR35 wise) but is thsi the only thing they won't budge on?

We have to ask before taking holidays too.

[SueEllen]

We have to ask before taking holidays too.

Ask or check whether it's an inconvenience?

There is a difference.

[SueEllen]

oh dear...surely the 50 hour weeks done in the past warrant some sympathy?? never get overtime...

If it's a long term client then you should have just disappeared when it was appropriate.

[northernladuk]

We have to ask before taking holidays too.

I think some clever wording on your part could also mean this isn't an issue. If you fall in to the mind set of having to ask for permission to take holidays you are just shooting yourself in the foot.

[Swamp Thing]

We have to ask before taking holidays too.

Have to say, you sound well inside the D&C guidelines for IR35; I'd start to mirror in the workplace what your contract hopefully says - be autonomous.

The previous contributors are 100% on this - don't ask, just state what you are going to do - holiday, WFH, etc etc. First and foremost you're a business, so act like you're in a B2B relationship (God, I think I'm sounding like NLUK )

One more thing for your next gig: at first interview don't raise anything about hours, WFH, holiday etc. Asking these questions makes you sound like work-to-rule. Treat the interview like a business presentation.

Assuming you then get a follow-up interview, you can bring in some of these questions, but do it in an informal way. If after 1st interview you get an offer, then raise the questions with your pimp.

But TBH, I wouldn't raise them at all. Just start the gig, assert your requirements from Day 1 and everything else will fall into place.

[MyUserName]

Imagine what IBM would do in your situation. If they had a consultant on site who wanted to leave early and had cleared it with IBM they would not normally ask the project manager's permission.

They might inform him and at the business level (in other words, with your MD hat on) discuss things with him to reach a mutually convenient compromise but managers on site do not manage IBM's workers, IBM does that and the contract they agree with the client provides a framework for expectations.

However, whether your manager sees it this way is another thing altogether! Good luck.

[Butcheroo]

Working hours

Would be interesting to see what else they don't let you do from an IR35 perspective though. Could open a bit of a can of worms. If it is just working times and you can't have flexibility as no one else does you might be able to work your way around it (IR35 wise) but is thsi the only thing they won't budge on?

Was going to ask the same. Trying to learn from you about control and surely having to ask all this permission shouts control and inside ir35. Employee alert

[psychocandy]

Ask or check whether it's an inconvenience?

There is a difference.

WSS. BIG BIG BIG Agree.