as a contractor, is it normal . . .

[ratewhore]

to not have a ******* clue what's going on
to be expected to use your own laptop
to do 9 hours a day on a "daily" rate
and to expect to get sacked each evening

?

oh yes!
oh yes (you don't want to use the clients if you can help it anyway).
You're a sucker if you do, check your contract, it probably states what a working day or week is anyway. My client gets what they pay for...
N/A Check termination clause in contract.

[BoredBloke]

I'm using my own laptop because the one they provided me with is a heap of sh1t. I am on a daily rate and do 8 till 6. I do have the option from working from home on a Friday although I have not taken them up on it yet.

I have not yet been sacked on a daily basis though.

[ratewhore]

fook me - 10 hour days? You should be putting your feet up on day 5 - not working from home...

[thunderlizard]

(a) to not have a ******* clue what's going on
(b) to be expected to use your own laptop
(c) to do 9 hours a day on a "daily" rate
(d) and to expect to get sacked each evening--

(a) - yes, but contractors are generally pretty good at finding out things when they need yo
(b) - you're probably in a minority, but it's nothing untoward
(c) - well if it's a daily rate you work as many hours as you see fit. My daily rate is usually about 9.5 * usual hourly rate and I probably average 9h/d. The trick is to work erratic hours so that people think you're working the hours demanded by the job - not too much, not too little as the situation demands. Of course in reality your hours will be based around golf, big poker games, the Scunthorpe dogging scene, whatever
(d) - Generally not. Maybe you're on a dicey project, else you're paranoid.

[MarillionFan]

I have a days work today. I dont know how I will cope!

[boredsenseless]

to not have a ******* clue what's going on
to be expected to use your own laptop
to do 9 hours a day on a "daily" rate
and to expect to get sacked each evening

?

Using your own laptop - well I think its acceptable to expect a business to provide its staff with the basic tools of the trade, you'd be p1ssed off if as plumber came to your house and asked to borrow a wrench spanner and screwdriver, the only difference is laptops cost a bit more.

9 hours a day on a daily rate, well if its a daily rate then it should have a definition of a day in the contract, if it doesn't then you can use the standard UK day of somewhere between 7.5 and 8 hours of work (not lunches) anything else is goodwill on your part, and if done excessively should be highlighted.

Termination is the only sure thing in a contractors life, learn to love it for the opportunities it will bring to move on and get a more interesting gig next time

[monkey]

thank you

group hug. nice to get a sanity check.