Reply to: Rate reduction for working at home

[DeludedKitten]

Technology is all well and good, but it still doesn't replace being co-located. Much easier to get things ironed out in person, or to build good relationships with co-workers.

Conversely, much easier to drag things out and keep invoicing if you're working from home

7 years and counting...

[jmo21]

However, you need to factor in cabin fever. I'd hate to WFH full time, having done it for five months straight in the past. Had to spend time with the enemy and stuff. Eugh.

Oh absolutely!

I'm not a huge fan of full time WFH.

Technology is all well and good, but it still doesn't replace being co-located. Much easier to get things ironed out in person, or to build good relationships with co-workers.

2 or 3 days WFH a week would suit me best in most situations.

[Lance]

However, you need to factor in cabin fever. I'd hate to WFH full time, having done it for five months straight in the past. Had to spend time with the enemy and stuff. Eugh.

when you realise you haven't showered for 3 days, or shaved for a week it's time to go to the office.

[LondonManc]

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if the different rates were up front in the discussions before accepting a contract offer, and I wouldn't consider anything less than:

(In office rate) - (in office expenses) = £wfh rate.

However, you need to factor in cabin fever. I'd hate to WFH full time, having done it for five months straight in the past. Had to spend time with the enemy and stuff. Eugh.

[jmo21]

It wouldn't bother me in the slightest if the different rates were up front in the discussions before accepting a contract offer, and I wouldn't consider anything less than:

(In office rate) - (in office expenses) = £wfh rate.

[LondonManc]

Welcome to business and the art of negotiations.

If you feel you're better off WFH on £495/day instead of making the journey in on £550/day, it's up to you.

I'd argue it's worth it if there are significant expenses involved - return train from Manchester to London, accommodation, etc.
I'd suck it up and make a daily commute for the extra £250 a week if it's easy enough to return home each evening.

[Old Greg]

Meet them halfway by increasing your client site rate to cover travel expenses.

[northernladuk]

Qué? Parlo Inglese?

Sent from my CPN-W09 using Tapatalk

Go to the three bars in to the top left of the app. Hit Settings. Hit Signature and turn the 'Show Signature' Off.

Reinstall must turn it back on again.

[Scruff]

Oh, my!
how many tricks is that, exactly?

Qué? Parlo Inglese?

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[Lance]

I've just had an agent suggest to me a day rate for WFH. And a higher day rate + expenses for working away.

[DeludedKitten]

There was never a distinction made between WFH or being in the office. I base the majority of my time in the office but WFH occasionally.

Now the client wants to implement a reduced rate for WFH, which has been communicated through the agency. I guess this is because some people are taking the piddle?

So it's a mid-contract rate negotiation that the client wants to put in place - if you don't want to negotiate then you let them terminate the contract and you walk away. They cannot force this on you without a new contract being in place.

I have a fairly standard day rate - I might adjust it upwards if the client can afford it and I'm not that fussed about the work, or I might adjust it downwards for the right role and the right location. But it tends also to be a factor of what I expect to charge each day plus my expenses (and after some time I'm pretty good at guessing what flights / trains / mileage / hotels / rent might all come to). For a contract some years ago that was mainly working from home, I negotiated a discounted rate but I would bill for any travel costs and time as necessary because they were talking about me going to different countries for the project. The client liked the idea because they saw the lower rate discount, I liked it because I had my expenses covered and I was working from home for above my minimum day rate. Win-win.

If you have significant costs of being in the office then this is your chance to renegotiate that to your benefit. So rather than a cut to work from home, you introduce a new day rate with an uplift for every day that you are in the office - whether that is a flat fee or expenses is up to you both to agree on. Maybe this is a blessing - you can work from home more often, you get more freedom that way, you can argue that you've dictated your working location and work pattern, and the client gets that lower day rate that they are after at a zero cost / opportunity cost to you.

[gables]

Only ever wfh (this is occasional unlike some on here) at the same rate as in the office so never really considered. But my thoughts are if the rate cut was significantly higher than the cost of going in, I'd be going in; that'll show em

[simes]

Must admit this is a new one to me. Professional working day, irrespective of location, would be my response.

Are you asking to wfh, or has it been forced upon you?

Without this knowledge, could you chuck an argument back saying that if the client is not willing to offer you work space, your rate goes up? At least then perhaps the rate stays the same and the argument goes away.

[DaveB]

Not had this happen spoecifically but I will generally accept a lower rate for a WFH gig for the convieniance and the fact that it makes it easier to run concurrent contracts or do work on the side.

[ladymuck]

Not had a client (or agency) try to cut the rate after the contract has started because of WFH. It has been common in the past (it probably still happens) for lovely banks to do rate cuts because they ran out of money to pay the shareholders or some such nonsense.