Enforced Xmas not working - penny pinching clients

[psychocandy]

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

LOL. Thats funny. Sure its not the other way around?

[psychocandy]

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.

Can I send my Mother-in-law around to your house?

Choices for me:-

1. Sit at home watching crap on TV with MIL perched of other sofa for days on end.
2. Get away from it all, some peace and quiet to get work done and get paid for it.

[SueEllen]

Can I send my Mother-in-law around to your house?

Choices for me:-

1. Sit at home watching crap on TV with MIL perched of other sofa for days on end.
2. Get away from it all, some peace and quiet to get work done and get paid for it.

You shouldn't rely on your client to keep you away from relations you don't like.

You should have booked a holiday or arranged to go and visit some other relations in both cases ensuring it's difficult for the MIL to stay with you.

[Harmonic]

At my last gig they make all contractors take off two weeks over Christmas. I was given the heads up by other contractors - the client had said nothing. That said it doesn't matter as the project I was working on got scaled back so I finished on Friday anyway and now looking at getting some training done and spending time with the family.

They also announced the week before the Olympics that all contractors on the project had to take two weeks off between the start of the Olympics and the end of the Paralympics.

[psychocandy]

You shouldn't rely on your client to keep you away from relations you don't like.

You should have booked a holiday or arranged to go and visit some other relations in both cases ensuring it's difficult for the MIL to stay with you.

Or I could just poison her! ;-)

[BA to the Stars]

The Christmas Shutdown is a recent phenomenon, and one to be cautiously welcomed IMO.

With over 15 years experience working on projects, there is only 1 year where I needed to go in between Christmas & New Year. Every other year the projects closed down over Christmas and that includes for permies as well as contractors.

[malvolio]

I don't get what people are stressing about. Being told there's no work so go home and we won't be paying you is a good thing on all levels bar income. And if you're that marginal you have to work every week God sent, then possibly you're doing it wrong.

Remember, your downtime is annualised in your day rate. It's why we charge what we do.

[northernladuk]

I don't get what people are stressing about. Being told there's no work so go home and we won't be paying you is a good thing on all levels bar income. And if you're that marginal you have to work every week God sent, then possibly you're doing it wrong.

Remember, your downtime is annualised in your day rate. It's why we charge what we do.

Reading the thread I think there is only one person stressing to be honest.

[darmstadt]

Always tend to go in between the 2 holidays which surprises the hell out of everyone but no-one minds. Last year managed to do a whole 6 months documentation in 3 days however this year I shall be staying at home as its only 2 working days so driving 600km plus hotel, its not really worth it.

[kaiser78]

You shouldn't rely on your client to keep you away from relations you don't like.

You should have booked a holiday or arranged to go and visit some other relations in both cases ensuring it's difficult for the MIL to stay with you.

May be the MIL feels the same in return ?