Reply to: Accomodation - Bath

[Dow Jones]

Expenses Rule

Irrespective of what some people can get away with and exceptions to the rule, the usual guidelines for clients are:

Acommodation and travel can only be paid in addition to the contractor's daily rate only when they visit client sites or the work is temporarily based on a different site from the one the contractor is based.
Eg A company that has a Head Office in London and different sites in Scotland, Wales etc can take someone who is London-based and ask him to spend a couple of weeks or so at those sites. Then they will have to pay for his hotel/travel.
Like MM, I have encountered several consultancies that can get away with charging clients hotel and travel expenses on a regular basis. I did sort of enquire then through my HR contact, but they turned round to say that I was paid enough to sort out my own. But so were they!

[Moscow Mule]

I think what you are seeing here is one or two very top-notch contractors who can and do demand these things. if I tried anything like that (run-of-the-mill software dev) they would tell me to swivel on a long pole.

I think it's very much a factor of what clients have come to expect.

The vendor of the software I work on has always charged expenses to the banks when consultants have been on site, so I saw no reason to do otherwise when I was going direct (or through an agent).

[Peoplesoft bloke]

I have stayed at The Bath Priory, Milsoms, Oldfields and the Harington.

Brief review

Bath Priory - very nice but expensive, we managed to beat them down to 100 a night!

Milsoms - OK but noisy as it's above Loch Fyne on a street corner.

Oldfields, nice and not expensive, but a little out of the centre

Haringtons - my top choice for value, very friendly - only drawbacks are no on site car park (I used to go by train so didn't care) and some rooms a little small. It can be a little noisy as there's a pub opposite, but nothing like as bad as Milsoms which is the confluence of the sub woofers of many local bars and chav cars with coffee can exhausts passing.

HTH

PS I got a flat eventually :-)

[dang65]

I think what you are seeing here is one or two very top-notch contractors who can and do demand these things. if I tried anything like that (run-of-the-mill software dev) they would tell me to swivel on a long pole.

Yeah, same here I suspect. Be interesting to see how the poll pans out.

[oracleslave]

By-the-way, if this is common practice then why do we have so many threads on here about cheapest options for accomodation and travel savings? If it's routine for the client to pay then these things should be completely irrelevant.

Well there is one way to find out:

http://forums.contractoruk.com/gener...avel-poll.html

[TheBigYinJames]

By-the-way, if this is common practice then why do we have so many threads on here about cheapest options for accomodation and travel savings? If it's routine for the client to pay then these things should be completely irrelevant.

I think what you are seeing here is one or two very top-notch contractors who can and do demand these things. if I tried anything like that (run-of-the-mill software dev) they would tell me to swivel on a long pole.

[Bagpuss]

I have never known them to pay accommodation in the Pharma Industry unless you go abroad. Some of these companies must have money to burn,

[dang65]

By-the-way, if this is common practice then why do we have so many threads on here about cheapest options for accomodation and travel savings? If it's routine for the client to pay then these things should be completely irrelevant.

[oracleslave]

Well, I'll certainly be trying that in future then. May be back here for more tips when they say, "You're avin a larf mate" or something.

Good luck

[dang65]

Well, I'll certainly be trying that in future then. May be back here for more tips when they say, "You're avin a larf mate" or something.

[oracleslave]

You go through agents to do this, right?

Not always. Last 3 contracts have been through contacts. However when using agents I always make sure they understand the quoted rate is exclusive of expenses (and VAT for the thick ones)

Does the client just agree to cover hotel and travel bills, or is there some pre-arranged amount they pay?

The client agrees to cover hotel and travel. I have had one where they put a cap on the hotel before i.e. they will pay any hotel up to £120 per night but most have been happy to just pay. As Malvolio mentioned most big clients have agreements with hotel chains and can organise decent rates for a quality hotel.

[dang65]

In the last 3 years I have had contracts in Liverpool ,Manchester, Bath, Bristol, Dundee etc etc. I have quoted an excluding expenses rate every time, i.e. client pays for travel and accomodation end of.

Well, I've missed a trick there then. But I'm only a ten-a-penny web developer and never seem to have much negotiating leverage when it comes to getting contracts. You go through agents to do this, right? Does the client just agree to cover hotel and travel bills, or is there some pre-arranged amount they pay?

[malvolio]

I've never known a client to pay for accomodation when I've worked away from home, or even to have considered it. They'd just hire someone local instead. Unless you had unique skills and they were based in a really inaccessable place, I suppose. But that doesn't really apply to Bath, does it?

Depends if you live in Bristol...

However, I've done gigs where I invoiced my day rate plus explicit accomodation costs, I've done them where I've upped my rate to cover it invisibly and I've done them where the rate was set, take it or leave and so paid accomodation out of the gross. None of it has anything to do with IR35.

Also don't forget if you're working for a big company, they'll most likely have a deal with a local hotel or three that saves you both some wedge.

[Bagpuss]

*There's one I pass regularly called "Nessum Dorma". I always wonder if the owners can speak Italian...

None shall sleep, maybe the central heating is noisy?

[oracleslave]

I've never known a client to pay for accomodation when I've worked away from home, or even to have considered it. They'd just hire someone local instead. Unless you had unique skills and they were based in a really inaccessable place, I suppose. But that doesn't really apply to Bath, does it?

In the last 3 years I have had contracts in Liverpool ,Manchester, Bath, Bristol, Dundee etc etc. I have quoted an excluding expenses rate every time, i.e. client pays for travel and accomodation end of.