Reply to: Comments

[LondonManc]

If it's offered verbally, it's worth the paper it was written on

It looks like the game has changed. You have re-evaluate and see if you want to play by the new rules. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face, but do consider moving on at next renewal if there's an opportunity elsewhere. Is the train a viable alternative on Fridays or are you in the middle of nowhere like Barclays in Cheshire?

As for the two contractors poo-pooing WFH; they sound like permatractors - check if they're outside IR35 then throw them to Hector.

[northernladuk]

Was WFH part of the contract or offered as flexibility. Exactly when was it offered and how? It's pretty key exactly how it was offered.

[Old Greg]

I had a issue with this in my last contract. The place was miles away from anywhere and always had difficultly with contractors coming in, so they offered a two day a week working from home.

The client requested Mondays and Fridays (as this is the days the PMs, and other contractors worked from home). However there was a fellow contractor, who was more senior, that didnt like it working from home (he lived round the corner, in this tiny village) and in the end requested I come into the office for 5 days a week. This became unworkable, but was determined to stick with it until renewal time, and I would decline the renewal.

pretty much in the last month of the contract, the client cancelled the project as no one was renewing and they simply couldn't get the staff, so they outsource the whole of the project to a development house. It made sense for them to do this in the long run, plus that senior contractor was a c**t so I was very happy to walk away.

If its agreed to WFH from the start then you should be able to WFH, Especially if it was the flexibility that attracted you to the contract, otherwise you may have waiting it out and found a better contract.

And if the client changes there mind, then they can terminate the contract at any point. So you can decide whether to accept the new terms or not. It's only business.

[2bFrank]

I had a issue with this in my last contract. The place was miles away from anywhere and always had difficultly with contractors coming in, so they offered a two day a week working from home.

The client requested Mondays and Fridays (as this is the days the PMs, and other contractors worked from home). However there was a fellow contractor, who was more senior, that didnt like it working from home (he lived round the corner, in this tiny village) and in the end requested I come into the office for 5 days a week. This became unworkable, but was determined to stick with it until renewal time, and I would decline the renewal.

pretty much in the last month of the contract, the client cancelled the project as no one was renewing and they simply couldn't get the staff, so they outsource the whole of the project to a development house. It made sense for them to do this in the long run, plus that senior contractor was a c**t so I was very happy to walk away.

If its agreed to WFH from the start then you should be able to WFH, Especially if it was the flexibility that attracted you to the contract, otherwise you may have waiting it out and found a better contract.

[wantacontract]

WFH is clearly an issue here. I would just do Mon-Fri in future. The journey to the office traffic is not their problem its only yours they can just cancel the contract at anytime. If you really want it be humble tell this manager your sorry & in future you will do Mon-Fri in the office. I know it sounds stupid to have that approach but think about this for a moment do you really want to throw the role away just because of your own internal delivery issues!

Your lucky actually as I know many clients in financial services would not even give you an option here your agency would get a termination notice before you even had a chance to understand why! Perms in general perceive contractor WFH as taking the absolute mickey so its down to your personal choice whether you swallow your pride & tell this manager in future you will be in the office 5 days a week.

The manager already told you at renewal his position on this he probably only renewed because he CBA to replace you! Hardly a position of negotiating strength is it!! You get paid what £400-500 a day how many others are waiting to jump into your seat & do Mon-Fri with no WFH....100s probably.

why don't you jump and roll over at the same time.....come on man, grow a pair!!

but then if you have no war chest and lots of financial committments, then you'll have to just suck it up....

[wantacontract]

Good advice.

Next time it might be worth rethinking your approach. WFH on Friday and when you have a delivery sounds like it's your convenience, not aligning with business needs. Better perhaps to just come in for meetings / workshops / good practice, and try to organise these around what works for you as well. Perhaps a matter of presentation?

Having said that, it sounds like the "manager" would be a problem anyway, but no point in giving ammunition.

spot on, go with what old greg has said....

if you are leaning towards not renewing then just wfh at all times unless you have specific meetings and need to be on site...sometimes out of sight out of mind.....

[MrMarkyMark]

WFH is clearly an issue here. I would just do Mon-Fri in future. The journey to the office traffic is not their problem its only yours they can just cancel the contract at anytime. If you really want it be humble tell this manager your sorry & in future you will do Mon-Fri in the office. I know it sounds stupid to have that approach but think about this for a moment do you really want to throw the role away just because of your own internal delivery issues!

Your lucky actually as I know many clients in financial services would not even give you an option here your agency would get a termination notice before you even had a chance to understand why! Perms in general perceive contractor WFH as taking the absolute mickey so its down to your personal choice whether you swallow your pride & tell this manager in future you will be in the office 5 days a week.

The manager already told you at renewal his position on this he probably only renewed because he CBA to replace you! Hardly a position of negotiating strength is it!! You get paid what £400-500 a day how many others are waiting to jump into your seat & do Mon-Fri with no WFH....100s probably.

Sorry don't agree with any of this.
I have worked with lots of FS clients, all of which have been fine with me WFH.

Sounds like you are some kind of lap dog that likes to have its belly tickled to me.

[Bee]

Hi All

I have a client, where the manager, (I hate that term because I work with my clients in a professional way, I don't need to be managed), has started to make snide comments, about contractors and especially myself. There have been 4 or 5 over the last 3 months.

When I renewed I had a clause placed into my contract saying that the assignee can work from their business premises and come to the site as and when required for meetings / workshops / good practice. I've actually done more than that, as I have been going in 4 days out of 5 and working from home on a Friday. Traffic on a Friday is hell and takes hours to get home. Other contractors also Work From Home, but there are one or two of the contractors who have very strict and negative views about people who work from home. I'm not sure if they are causing the issue. Don't care though ! At renewal, the 'manager' said he didn't believe people should work from home on a Friday, but said that was his view and his problem.

It came to a head last night, when I emailed the 'manager' at 7pm, saying I was expecting an unexpected early delivery tomorrow and I would need to work from home tomorrow. He frequently checks his emails overnight and I know he read it.

When I work from home, I do miles more than anyone else on time, by at least 2-3 hours in the day and that is always productive and I always deliver. This morning he started getting really funny saying he expects me to show more courtsey and getting very aggressive over the phone. I explained that it was unexpected that it was so early, and also I had been ill overnight and meant it wasn't wise for me to come in as I was contagious anyway.

I don't expect people to start getting aggressive, in a professional environment. There's no point in doing this as I believe this doesn't solve anything.

The comments are really starting to get on my nerves. I know it probably sounds trivial but any advice of how to deal with this 'manager' ?

Many Thanks

Padd

I would have a friendly conversation with him in order to understand why he became aggressive.

If doesn't work and the environment become too toxic, I would find another gig.

[Major Hassle]

I work with a major FS client and WFH daily, going to various sites when f2f is needed. In fact I've worked from home for the last 5 years....

[DieScum]

Suck it up, smile, then put lots of energy into looking for a better role elsewhere.

Leave professionally but with a inner smile as they have to spend project resources getting someone else up to speed.

It's all a two way street. It's about money but also quality of life. Be on the lookout for somewhere that will give you both - and you'll be happy to stay there longer.

[NotAllThere]

Good advice.

Next time it might be worth rethinking your approach. WFH on Friday and when you have a delivery sounds like it's your convenience, not aligning with business needs...

Better to have informed him of your availability. You could even have spun it so that it looked like you were WFH in order to align with business needs.

My parcel deliveries come to the office reception and duly left on my desk! And returns too collected from the reception. I love my client

I always ensure that I get on well with reception staff for exactly that kind of reason. For one client, I used to bring them Swiss chocolate every monday morning.

[Chuck]

Your lucky actually as I know many clients in financial services would not even give you an option here your agency would get a termination notice before you even had a chance to understand why!

And I know plenty of FS clients who completely support WFH. At least one massive one even mandates it.

Perms in general perceive contractor WFH as taking the absolute mickey so its down to your personal choice whether you swallow your pride & tell this manager in future you will be in the office 5 days a week.

Who cares what the Perms think? While you're telling your manager that you'll do as he wishes, despite your contract clearly stating your agreed conditions, you may as well give HMRC a ring and ask for the bank account they want all your lovely IR35 money to be paid to.

[mdhd]

... how many others are waiting to jump into your seat & do Mon-Fri with no WFH....100s probably.

me me me

[uk contractor]

WFH is clearly an issue here. I would just do Mon-Fri in future. The journey to the office traffic is not their problem its only yours they can just cancel the contract at anytime. If you really want it be humble tell this manager your sorry & in future you will do Mon-Fri in the office. I know it sounds stupid to have that approach but think about this for a moment do you really want to throw the role away just because of your own internal delivery issues!

Your lucky actually as I know many clients in financial services would not even give you an option here your agency would get a termination notice before you even had a chance to understand why! Perms in general perceive contractor WFH as taking the absolute mickey so its down to your personal choice whether you swallow your pride & tell this manager in future you will be in the office 5 days a week.

The manager already told you at renewal his position on this he probably only renewed because he CBA to replace you! Hardly a position of negotiating strength is it!! You get paid what £400-500 a day how many others are waiting to jump into your seat & do Mon-Fri with no WFH....100s probably.

[dx4100]

Get yourself out of there. Lifes too short.