Reply to: Client site parking and travel time question

[SueEllen]

Or, you are a humble employee of a consulting company and not a separate business entity, remember, you are NOT in legal terms the same entity as your company.

No but while you are an employee of that company, you are also an officer of that company who makes legally binding and strategic decisions for that company.

So it's question as to whether you go in there with a self-employed mindset or play the dumb act as an employee like all the others on site. I think I prefer the latter because in my experience playing the 'I'm a Director of a company, blah, blah...' pisses off the locals but YMMV...

Just thinking aloud link....

You can use the self-employed mindset as there are various ways you can be self-employed and that doesn't necessarily mean you are a director - someone who posts on here is a partner.

There is no need to piss people of by boasting about it just get the work done, and know when to make it clear to the client's managers that you aren't one of their employees i.e. planning days off.

[malvolio]

Or, you are a humble employee of a consulting company and not a separate business entity, remember, you are NOT in legal terms the same entity as your company.

So it's question as to whether you go in there with a self-employed mindset or play the dumb act as an employee like all the others on site. I think I prefer the latter because in my experience playing the 'I'm a Director of a company, blah, blah...' pisses off the locals but YMMV...

Just thinking aloud link....

Think a little differently, perhaps...?

The point is you do not go in thinking that you are anybody's employee. So you don't demand anything that is not explicitly listed in your contract. And the contract is between Your Co and the Client; if it's anything else I really hope you're paying your dues under IR35.

The client here is making things difficult, possibly with good (to them) reason, so the OP needs to negotiate - not demand - a revised arrangement within the confines of the contracts they've signed up to.

And FWIW my client's are under no illusions that I'm anything other than an independent.

[stek]

You're a contractor, a separate business entity, not a protected member of their establishment. You have no rights; if you want rights, go permanent. If you haven't grasped that yet, you're in the wrong trade.

Or, you are a humble employee of a consulting company and not a separate business entity, remember, you are NOT in legal terms the same entity as your company.

So it's question as to whether you go in there with a self-employed mindset or play the dumb act as an employee like all the others on site. I think I prefer the latter because in my experience playing the 'I'm a Director of a company, blah, blah...' pisses off the locals but YMMV...

Just thinking aloud link....

[d000hg]

Other way round, they've changed the circumstances and so it's your companies right to terminate early.

Not if parking isn't mentioned in the contract.

[stek]

What did ClientCo then do?
I feel similarly to you, I do think the client needs to sort this issue out. There are many contractors affected at this site, and a lot of them are looking at terminating contract or not renewing as a result of this change.

I don't know, I refused the extension!

[Spacecadet]

Yes, rightho.

Speak for yourself.

You're new to this contracting lark, arent you?

Has nothing to do with it and keep the insults out of the professional forums

[BolshieBastard]

Get a different contract elsewhere.

Exactly.

The client has me under contract for a reason - they need me.

Yes, rightho. You're new to this contracting lark, arent you?

[Spacecadet]

What a dullard. I'd love to see you stamp your feet when the client says halfway through your contract 'no onsite parking, narda, zip. Oh and suck it up cos we dont care. Like it or lump it.'

Your realistic options are to do what, exactly?

Get a different contract elsewhere. I never have any problems finding work and if the client refuses to negotiate then I'm out. I didn't start contracting so that I had to put up with someone elses crap.

The client has me under contract for a reason - they need me.

[lukemg]

Are there ANY houses around, type up a note offering £10/week for use of driveway and post through all possible houses. People are usually gone by the time you arrive and leave, or don't have a car etc.
If not, then you have to factor it into whether you want to continue there, I personally wouldn't be bleating to the client although if I did decide to leave and was asked, I would say it contributed to my leaving,

[BolshieBastard]

Being in business on your own account means taking into consideration all the costs involved with supplying your services to the client.
If you do not consider your time as something which should be factored into that cost then that's your loss.

What a dullard. I'd love to see you stamp your feet when the client says halfway through your contract 'no onsite parking, narda, zip. Oh and suck it up cos we dont care. Like it or lump it.'

Your realistic options are to do what, exactly?

Thanks for all the replies and input. Interesting reading and views.

So, my question really is more about the client suddenly changing parking site for contractors, and forcing a lot of extra travel time onto all their contractors. I certainly agree that I don't charge for my time to get to the client, and I don't expect to charge for the time to get from my home to this new parking site. In this situation, the expectation was a different parking site, one that I was prepared to accept. Now the client is forcing me to use a different parking site, that adds considerably to my journey. It is also quite a way out of my way to get to the alternative parking, but I am not going to drag that into the equation too. My primary concern is with the additional shuttle journey that I have no choice to make, at the clients dictation, that is different to my expectation on acceptance of contract.

I suspect you already know what the answer to this is. The client has made it very clear you arent parking on site. they have also made it very clear its not their problem that alternative parking is 30+ minutes away even if there is a shuttle bus.

Despite what some people on here have said, your client doesnt see it as "their" problem. IMVHO they wont, even if you ask for, provide any recompense, its for your business to do that.

By all means ask the client for some easements either individually or obtain a concensus with other contractors on site.

Your options, as has already been pointed out, are to suck it up or look for a new contract.

BTW, I never accept a contract unless there are easy travel arrangements ie on site \ off site parking, metro or rail station within walking distance. That's not to say I wouldnt be pissed off if the client co changed work location during the contract but again, I always ask at interview where the work will be carried out.

[Spacecadet]

The client is then within their rights to terminate your business relationship

Other way round, they've changed the circumstances and so it's your companies right to terminate early.
As has been said though, it depends on how necessary the work is. Personally, I'd be getting my CV back out and giving notice

[SueEllen]

Your company has a right to uphold it's end of the contract without unnecessary hurdles being thrown in it's way by the client.
Forcing the consultant (sent by your company, i.e. you) to travel for an extra hour each day is a hinderance and could well be seen as a material change to the conditions under which that contract needs to be fulfilled.

The client is then within their rights to terminate your business relationship*, then obtain services from another small business who is more local and doesn't have these issues with travel and parking.


*They can simply state there is no work for your company to do until the end of the contract so please don't come on site.

[Spacecadet]

Well that made my day. Probably the dumbest thing I've read on here for years. You are a second class citizen. You're a contractor, a separate business entity, not a protected member of their establishment. You have no rights; if you want rights, go permanent. If you haven't grasped that yet, you're in the wrong trade.

By all means fight for compensation for the disruption, but FFS don't pick an argument based on rights you don't have and don't need.

Your company has a right to uphold it's end of the contract without unnecessary hurdles being thrown in it's way by the client.
Forcing the consultant (sent by your company, i.e. you) to travel for an extra hour each day is a hinderance and could well be seen as a material change to the conditions under which that contract needs to be fulfilled.

[DS23]

You say you've looked at alternatives but have you scoured the residential streets to find the hidden spots that nearly always exist?

On a different tack have you tried any of those sites where people rent out their driveway for parking? If you were really motivated you could even leaflet a street nearby and see if anyone wants to help you out but that is fairly extreme!

if you need the work then i'm with d00hgy. decide how much it would be worth your while and get creative locally. there's bound to be a small business or private driveway that would take a parking fee a off you.

if you don't need the work then explain why and work your notice. don't get argumentative about "rights" - it's not worth the stress.

[malvolio]

piss off somewhere else where they don't treat contractors like 2nd rate citizens.

Well that made my day. Probably the dumbest thing I've read on here for years. You are a second class citizen. You're a contractor, a separate business entity, not a protected member of their establishment. You have no rights; if you want rights, go permanent. If you haven't grasped that yet, you're in the wrong trade.

By all means fight for compensation for the disruption, but FFS don't pick an argument based on rights you don't have and don't need.