What's a standard day?

[BrilloPad]

At the current gig its an 8 hour minimum. Only a few contractors do 8 - most do 9(as I do). Some do 10+. And one chap regularly does 12-14 hour days!

One thing I found is that if I take a half day and charge for 4 hours they pay me for 8 anyway. I did complain to pimp but apparently its what contract says. Think I might do a half day every day.

[Cooperinliverp00l]

I have my team working a 37.5 hour week each taking a min of 30 min lunch break unpaid. They don't have exact numbers but more of a window of when they have to start and and when they can finish.

I operate the flexible approach that as long as they do their hours i'm happy. Some work an hour extra each day so that they can knock off early on Friday. I allow them to do this on the one understanding that if the Sh1t hits the fan or there is a lot of work on they have to revert back to contracted core times.

IanIan i would speak direct to the client and explain what you would like to work and whether you can do it on the assumption that if required you will be flexible as well and work any additional hours to get the job done.

[Chugnut]

I'm on a daily rate based on an 8 hour day. My commute is quite long and the work is quiet so I tend to get in around 8:20-8:25 and leave about 4:45, sometimes just after 5. On Friday's I leave at 4:25. I always have lunch at my desk so I can keep to these times. I don't feel the need for a longer lunch and I'd rather be home sooner.

If I go out for lunch I work later to make up for it. The client always gets at least their 8 hours, and they're happy with my work. To be honest, provided you've fullfilled your contractural obligations, there's no need for anyone to get bent out of shape.

I agree with the earlier comments about establishing the pattern first rather than asking to change it later.

[bobhope]

Sorry, I thought the arithmetic was clear: if you are contracted for an 8-hour day and you work 9-5 with 1 hour for lunch, you are being paid for your lunch break. If you are contracted for an 8-hour day and you work 9-6 with 1 hour for lunch, you are not being paid for your lunch break. Not that it matters how you put it.

You hit an aspect of contracting here: you are contracted to the agency, but the expectations that matter are the client's.

I agree with barely_pontless: start as you mean to go on. I've seen any number of cases where contractors who started with an early Friday departure, a late Monday arrival, or even Fridays off/at home, have continued doing that throughout the contract, whereas others who asked for the same thing have been refused.

To put it at its worst, if the client asks you after a month or more not to leave early on Frdays, you can always say (if you mean it) that you're not sure you would want to continue on that basis, so let's discuss it. If OTOH you say "can I leave early on Fridays" and he says no, you can hardly say let's discuss it, because you just have.

It is normally much better than that: just do it, and make sure that your work is more than satisfactory. Then the question of changing things is less likely to arise.

Personally (to get back to the point) I don't even ask that question: I make a point of not keeping regular hours.

I'm not sure about this. There is a school of thought that first impressions count, so that if you leave at 17:00 every day for the first couple of weeks at a contract, other people will always remember that.

Conversely, if you work late every day for the first couple of weeks, then people get it into their heads that you "always work late" even if you subsequently don't.

[Euro-commuter]

I'm not sure about this. There is a school of thought that first impressions count, so that if you leave at 17:00 every day for the first couple of weeks at a contract, other people will always remember that.

Conversely, if you work late every day for the first couple of weeks, then people get it into their heads that you "always work late" even if you subsequently don't.

I agree with that too. You have to wing it.

[gingerjedi]

I get a daily rate no mater what, if I'm late due to traffic its no big issue, only last week I had to go home at lunch time because the wife was having a 20 week scan, when I put a half day on my time sheet my boss queried it and said put a full day down seeing as you're on a daily rate.

I appreciate this is an exception rather than the norm.