How much is a fully remote role worth to you?

[TheDude]

I started a new contract last year and thought I could handle two days in the office given that the rate was as good as I have seen for an inside IR35 role.

Turns out that I don't really work with anyone in the office and my afternoons are spent in teams meetings with the US team that are run by a micromanaging scrum master whose meetings typically overrun by 50%.

What sort of percentage rate reduction would you take to be fully remote? I have just turned down 10% from another firm because I felt this was too much of a hit considering I was expected to be available some evenings.

Alternatively what sort of rate increase would you seek for a tulipty commute twice a week?

[jamesbrown]

There's no rate I would accept in exchange for a tulipty commute, but I have no problem with visiting a client site as needed. In reality, that almost never happens because I don't work with UK clients anymore. That said, WFH can be easily oversold - the interaction with people is worth something. Of course, if there's no interaction and you're sitting in a cubicle engaged in virtual meetings with client bods from other client sites, then it's worth nothing. In short, it depends (except for the commuting part).

[tazdevil]

The rate is what you and the client/agent negotiate and accept and has nothing to do with extraneous factors such as WFH and commuting other than to use those as bargaining chips. What really sets the rate is value and if the client thinks the rate gives him the value he's looking for and you think it's what you need then everyone's happy

[WTFH]

What sort of percentage rate reduction would you take to be fully remote?

0%

My rate is x. You want me to go onsite a couple of days per month for specific meetings, then let's talk about expenses for going on site. You want me to go onsite more than 1 or 2 days per month, then we talk about an increased rate plus expenses.

[d000hg]

There's no rate I would accept in exchange for a tulipty commute

Find that very unlikely. You perhaps mean no rate that is likely to be offered. I suspect for a grand a day more, you would reconsider

[TheDude]

0%

My rate is x. You want me to go onsite a couple of days per month for specific meetings, then let's talk about expenses for going on site. You want me to go onsite more than 1 or 2 days per month, then we talk about an increased rate plus expenses.

Let's face it - many of us are stuck inside IR35 - expensing travel is not an option so the rate is all we have to play with.

[jamesbrown]

Find that very unlikely. You perhaps mean no rate that is likely to be offered. I suspect for a grand a day more, you would reconsider

You can believe what you like. I wouldn't. I don't need the money, I am working because I enjoy it. Remove that and it's pointless.

[Gibbon]

TBH I don't like fully remote, or not in my current role anyway which is heavy on team work, as I find information flow slows down, i.e. nothing beats standing at someone's desk asking for stuff, nor building up F2F relationships which then make WFH easier. I work across two sites, my contracted one is a 40 min train journey @ £10.00 return so don't mind that once a week. The other is 90 mins tulipty drive (M62), but I negotiated being on the clock as I leave my garage until I get back, so that takes the sting out of it, again once a week ish.

[edison]

This is a very different question to mid-2021 to mid-2022 when the market was pretty strong and much less of a buyer's market than today.

There are multiple variables to balance - how interesting is the work, opportunity to learn or improve your skills, how good the client looks on your CV and whether you have a warchest that allows you to be picky about remote only roles.

I didn't go into an office for 22 months from March 2020 till Jan 22 whilst I was working for one client who was especially cautious about Covid. Although the work was interesting and the client was easy to get on with, the rate was rather low.

I got two new gigs during 2022 where I had to go to the office on average 5-6 times a month with a one hour train commute each way that was fairly relaxed. I was genuinely quite happy to mingle with people again and the extra £200 a day made it worthwhile.

I wouldn't want continuous 100% remote roles and it really isn't that big a deal to go to the office a few times a month.

[PCTNN]

When I get contacted for a role, the first thing I want to know about is the working arrangements. If the client is adamant to have me in the office 1-2 days a week, I want £100 per day more.

Having said that, I would never commute more than 2 days a week and I would never commute for longer than 1.5hr one way so I don't even want to discuss those roles.