Reply to: What's the minimum rate you would work for, away from home?

[psychocandy]

I can smell bulltulip on here with some people saying they wouldnt get out of bed for less than £400 a day.

One other point. Even £150 a day is £150 per day more than £0 per day on the bench. (Although, I would also say that if you end up taking a crap rate you might miss out on a better rate a week later but its a chance you take).

Personally, I'd take £150 local if I needed to. Working away, which I'm not keen on, wouldn't do unless I was skint.

[MarillionFan]

I'm on £360/day in central London. Might seem low, but that seems to be the average for my job type on jobswerve.com
Maybe I'm just a loser

For what it's worth I think that's a good rate in London. Lots of crap spoken on CUK by posters about rates. The vast majority are not pulling in a 100k a year and £1750 a week is beyond the vast majority of people. You're in the 1% of earners in the country at that rate. Were all well overpaid.

[KentPhilip]

I'm on £360/day in central London. Might seem low, but that seems to be the average for my job type on jobswerve.com
Maybe I'm just a loser

[d000hg]

OK, so what you are saying is, it's better not to work and have no income rather than work for £300 a day less your expenses?

Let's say your expenses are £100 a day. Your co has still earnt £200 a day gross.

Why is it better to turn this down and wait, unpaid for however long, for a job never mind a rate, that may not even come along for months!?

That's like saying if you don't have a contract you should work in a pub for minimum wage because it's better than no income... if you need the money you do what you can get but when merely benched you wouldn't.

[Scoobos]

Why is it better to turn this down and wait, unpaid for however long, for a job never mind a rate, that may not even come along for months!?

Perhaps:

1. Because your skillset will die quicker than if you trained at home
2. Because some agents only look at your last position
3. Contracting is always twist or stick.
4. You have self confidence and belief that may be eroded by working in a role that doesnt use your skills.

Just my 2 cents mr bolshie, now get back to the footie thread and row with me about kenny being tulipe.

[BolshieBastard]

In the UK or in Europe.

Is it worthwhile working away from home for £300/day? What if there's a 4 hour drive each way (so ~£100 petrol for the week) and hotel costs of £50/night. Then your other costs like food etc.

After costs & tax you might walk away with, what, £150 a day, annualised to £35,000.

And the fact that you're away from home all week, away from the family and friends.

There has to be a cut-off point right?

OK, so what you are saying is, it's better not to work and have no income rather than work for £300 a day less your expenses?

Let's say your expenses are £100 a day. Your co has still earnt £200 a day gross.

Why is it better to turn this down and wait, unpaid for however long, for a job never mind a rate, that may not even come along for months!?

[TheFaQQer]

I have a base daily rate, and then I add on what it's likely to cost me to get to the client and stay away. Depending on the role, location and how desperate I am to work, I then add on a premium to factor the work-life balance in.

[TheFaQQer]

Probably £500 a day. Then again I'm in a contract now. I might take £400 if I was on the bench to work away.

It all depends on the definition of "away". Living in Leicester there are lots of places, Manchester in the North and London in the South that are not an unrealistic commute. At the moment I burn 800 miles a week commuting. It's not great but cheaper than a hotel.

For the last time - driving a truck is NOT commuting!!!

[Mupps]

What area do you specialise in?

Networking. (The techie kind - not talking to people)

[Sockpuppet]

Probably £500 a day. Then again I'm in a contract now. I might take £400 if I was on the bench to work away.

It all depends on the definition of "away". Living in Leicester there are lots of places, Manchester in the North and London in the South that are not an unrealistic commute. At the moment I burn 800 miles a week commuting. It's not great but cheaper than a hotel.

[EternalOptimist]

350 pd
or I might go down to 300 if things were dire

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

I've had just this dilemma this week.

I've just taken a gig for £400pd fricken 300 miles away up north. I have since been offered one for 350 per day 30 miles from home....

The 400 gig is worthwhile, interesting and longterm and will be good for my CV. The 350 gig will be shorter, likely a bit tulip and not much use to me longterm and might be a bit fickle and suddenly end due to impending financial crisis in the world..

I've chosen to sit where i am and ride this one out at the higher rate, although they would both probably balance out to the same take home by a mix of paranoia or more poverty and uncertainty and a sort of big picture view... Normally i would work for 450 per day, but i spent 2 months on the bench going nuts and running out of money.. I've got a finely tuned financial situation where we've recently done up the house and spent all our cash so i don't have any big reserves.

dunno though, it's grim up north and i miss my kids...

maybe i'll sit this one out and wait until the market picks up then get back to 450...

What area do you specialise in?

[d000hg]

It's all about the take home, and the quality of accommodation. I'd not mind spending 1/3 of my income on a London gig if it meant I could stay in a modern 1-bed/studio in zone 1.

[Mupps]

I've had just this dilemma this week.

I've just taken a gig for £400pd fricken 300 miles away up north. I have since been offered one for 350 per day 30 miles from home....

The 400 gig is worthwhile, interesting and longterm and will be good for my CV. The 350 gig will be shorter, likely a bit tulip and not much use to me longterm and might be a bit fickle and suddenly end due to impending financial crisis in the world..

I've chosen to sit where i am and ride this one out at the higher rate, although they would both probably balance out to the same take home by a mix of paranoia or more poverty and uncertainty and a sort of big picture view... Normally i would work for 450 per day, but i spent 2 months on the bench going nuts and running out of money.. I've got a finely tuned financial situation where we've recently done up the house and spent all our cash so i don't have any big reserves.

dunno though, it's grim up north and i miss my kids...

maybe i'll sit this one out and wait until the market picks up then get back to 450...

[MarillionFan]

I suppose that's the crux of the conversation. It has to be worthwhile in some way: financially, or family, or learning.

Clients will see the rate as be all and end all, but for the contractor it's what ends up in your pocket that counts. I wouldn't work abroad for less than something like £800/day (not that I'll ever get that abroad), unless there were mitigating factors like moving out there with the family. But I'll work locally for £400/day if I have the option to.

Understandably, bench time can influence any decision. In many cases one would rather be earning than sitting at home.

I like to plan a year ahead, so I set out my expectations for income at the beginning of the year and try to hit it. Once I've hit it(or can see how I will hit it) I react accordingly. I've always been lucky with bench time though.