Enforced Xmas not working - penny pinching clients

[psychocandy]

Nice xmas hat on your pic NLUK..... ;-)

Im all for expectations and the rules of the game etc etc but it does piss me off when things are so one way with certain clients. Sure you've got the signed contract malarky but surely theres a bit of leeway for give and take from both sides not just take take from the client?

[captainham]

Nice xmas hat on your pic NLUK..... ;-)

Im all for expectations and the rules of the game etc etc but it does piss me off when things are so one way with certain clients. Sure you've got the signed contract malarky but surely theres a bit of leeway for give and take from both sides not just take take from the client?

The client is the one paying a small fortune for you. Some clients are ruthless/clueless a-holes. They don't owe you anything as an individual so might be perfectly happy to behave in this way.

If you don't like it, you know what to do....it's not worth getting stressed out over these things, so you either grin and bear it and make the best of it, or you do one.

[SimonMac]

I assume as its normally a skeleton permie staff no point having contractors who invariably need something or other from permies who are on holiday

[d000hg]

At the risk of earning NLUK's ire, would any of the earnings protection insurance products cover this kind of thing?

[SueEllen]

At the risk of earning NLUK's ire, would any of the earnings protection insurance products cover this kind of thing?

Nope.

Also if the client forces you to have 3 weeks off and you aren't happy with the client there is nothing stopping you walking once the contract finishes.

When you do walk it's worth telling them the truth if asked i.e. you are a service provider and their style of working doesn't suit your business.

[northernladuk]

Nope.

Also if the client forces you to have 3 weeks off and you aren't happy with the client there is nothing stopping you walking once the contract finishes.

When you do walk it's worth telling them the truth if asked i.e. you are a service provider and their style of working doesn't suit your business.

Whereas asking the client what the situation is around xmas if you contract spans it at time of signing can do away with all this heartache and hassle.

[SueEllen]

Whereas asking the client what the situation is around xmas if you contract spans it at time of signing can do away with all this heartache and hassle.

To be fair I like time of around Xmas.

I don't like contracts where I have to go into work during the Xmas and New Year period.

[backlight]

We all know very little gets done Christmas week, it is actually good business sense to close the office if/where possible.

The client I am with at the moment closes the office Christmas week, there are circa 50 contractors there, say they are each on 500/day. Closing the office for the 3 extra days saves 75K, no small amount of money. Even if it they were to open the value they would get from the 75K would be questionable.

[seyre1972]

Quite common in some trades/businesses

I've had more of an issue with this as a permie. Being forced to take a considerable portion of your holiday allowance whether it suits you or not sucks.

In a better position now. The permie team will be mostly off during those two weeks. I was told I can work if I feel like it, or take time off as well. I'll only be working on the 31st I decided. Should be a quiet day.

Interestingly some Professions/Businesses still enforce time off/close up shop. Friend who is a Surveyor more or less has to take 2 weeks off over Xmas - as the "trade" closes down. Likewise lots of factories have a planned closure/holiday still.

But then again - seeing how the European Union in Brussels more or less closes down for 6 weeks over summer holidays (Loads restaurants/bars close at the same time as the Eurocrats are not around to spend our taxes .....)

Maybe we're the stupid ones for not being on that gravy train .......

[psychocandy]

The client is the one paying a small fortune for you. Some clients are ruthless/clueless a-holes. They don't owe you anything as an individual so might be perfectly happy to behave in this way.

If you don't like it, you know what to do....it's not worth getting stressed out over these things, so you either grin and bear it and make the best of it, or you do one.

Of course, hammy. Its par for the course. I try not to stress about it.