Working from home/4 days out of 5 etc - when to raise with client

[Hairy]

If you're good enough, they'll pay, if not, move on, there are lots of contracts out there.

[scooterscot]

Has anyone else done this in real life? The London-based gig I mentioned in another thread raises this issue for me. I reckon a weekly commute to London is going to cost me £150-200pd (not prepared to live in a slum, not prepared to have a non-trivial commute when I'm already in London).

I mentioned in passing my preference to WFH to the agent, and I plan to bring it up in the phone interview, at least to make them aware rather than to demand anything.

Since rate needs to be high and I reckon they'll be stretched to meet it, I thought I'd use this as a lever to WFH. I was toying with 3 options:

1)I charge £Xpd, and an additional £Ypd for each day I have to be on site
2)WFH £Xpd, onsite £Ypd
3)£Xpd flat rate, but they pay all my travel and accomodation

They all work out roughly being the same thing of course, but is there a "done way" of doing this?

Of course. I've found the sweet spot to be 1/3 of my on-site rate. Off-site (i.e. I'm on the client's site).

If you start mucking about and falling in-between your two rates you'll probably find yourself competing too closely with those willing to work at the client's site full time. You've got to stand out.

For example if I charge £90p/h to be on the client's site the response is you're too expensive. I let it settle for a while. But all the while the client is thinking, yes 15 years is expensive but as much as we'd like to have him here he's too expensive.

Then I put my 'on-site' (my office) rate on the table, £60 p.h. Suddenly you're giving the client something they want badly, you're experience at a knock down price.

I've been doing this for several years now, I can tell you it works.

[psychocandy]

To be honest, I'd probably do contract close to home at about 50% of rate of one where I had a long commute/stay away.

Unfortunately, at the moment, I'm coming across a lot of roles with consultancies where they're hiring you as a body to their end client. Means they need you visible on site.

[psychocandy]

Just had phone interview for gig. Looks good. Rate is OK BUT its miles away. Probably not doable on a daily basis at least. Which causes a problem with my personal situation unfortunately.

Anyway, you'll be glad that I took the advice of some of you on here and brought the subject up immediately. Asked if there was some flexibility with hours/working locations etc rather than onsite 9-5 mon-fri. It was a phone interview but there was a bit of a stunned silence that I'd even asked that.

Oh well. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Better to know in advance than start the gig and find I can't go through with it I suppose.

[northernladuk]

Just had phone interview for gig. Looks good. Rate is OK BUT its miles away. Probably not doable on a daily basis at least. Which causes a problem with my personal situation unfortunately.

Anyway, you'll be glad that I took the advice of some of you on here and brought the subject up immediately. Asked if there was some flexibility with hours/working locations etc rather than onsite 9-5 mon-fri. It was a phone interview but there was a bit of a stunned silence that I'd even asked that.

Oh well. Nothing ventured nothing gained. Better to know in advance than start the gig and find I can't go through with it I suppose.

I wouldn't have brought it up in a phone interview even if it was the first one. I find phone interviews very mechanical. I would want some interaction with my client to ask questions like this. Just seems more professional and personal so better chance to get the issue out without sounding like a slacker.

[Old Greg]

I wouldn't have brought it up in a phone interview even if it was the first one. I find phone interviews very mechanical. I would want some interaction with my client to ask questions like this. Just seems more professional and personal so better chance to get the issue out without sounding like a slacker.

WHS. At phone interview stage, they're looking for reasons to exclude people, so no point putting doubts into their minds until you've hooked them.

[psychocandy]

Maybe you both have a point. But, to be fair, first question they guy asked about was location and how I planned to do that.
I believe in being honest and up front with people so I did.

If the agency are to be believed I'm the only candidate. Also, the PM I spoke to on the phone knows my last client well and, apparently, got a recommendation off him this morning for me. Tell you what I must be good a flipping those burgers now!

To be fair, after being stunned, the guy said it wasn't up to him things like hours/days etc.

[SueEllen]

Maybe you both have a point. But, to be fair, first question they guy asked about was location and how I planned to do that.
I believe in being honest and up front with people so I did.

If the agency are to be believed I'm the only candidate. Also, the PM I spoke to on the phone knows my last client well and, apparently, got a recommendation off him this morning for me. Tell you what I must be good a flipping those burgers now!

To be fair, after being stunned, the guy said it wasn't up to him things like hours/days etc.

Normally when I have a telephone interview the client will tell me about flexible hours before I even ask. It tends to come up when discussing logistics.

[Old Greg]

Maybe you both have a point. But, to be fair, first question they guy asked about was location and how I planned to do that.
I believe in being honest and up front with people so I did.

OK, we need one of our little chats. Go and shadow Dodgy for the day. See how he operates. Feel the luxury of the nearly new faux leather seat covers in his Cortina. Then work it out for yourself.

[psychocandy]

Lol. Ok maybe not to agents.