Contractor can't get tow work due to car trouble.

Contractor can't get tow work due to car trouble.

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Discussion

prand

Original Poster:

5,910 posts

195 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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So, a contractor in my team lives c30 miles from the office. Her car has had to go into the garage to get a replacement ECU on her car as it keeps cuttting out randomly so can't be driven.

Her garage now can't name a day when the new part will be delivered and car fixed, and it can't be driven as it could cut out at any time.

She doesn't necessarily need to be in the office to do her job, but we are all largely office based, people can WFH but tend only for a day or so a week, and this was nearly a week ago. Plus, this week, one of the team from the US has come over and these two were supposed to meet up.

I'm getting a little peeved. Short term, none of the above would be a major issue, but this is dragging on more than I find acceptable without a fix being in sight. Plus, someone has come to meet her from 5000 miles away and I feel it looks pretty unprofessional that she can't manage to make the 30 miles from home.

I've spoken to this contractor telling her what I want (basically to get to the office for the rest of this week, I don't care how), just wondering what others may do in this situation as I think I may be being a bit harsh...





Lefty

16,131 posts

201 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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The contractor has to do the job he/she is contracted to. If that means getting their arse to a specific place at a specific time then so be it.

I have several contractors in my team, that's the rule I use and they all accept it.

AndrewO

647 posts

182 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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^^Yep, I expect the contract will also say place of work = office

She needs to get in, its not your problem

japgt

349 posts

163 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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Why cant she just hire a car from enterprise or something?

texasjohn

3,687 posts

230 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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^ above, or get the train/bus/taxi.

I don't think you are being unreasonable, OP.

Is this contractor self-employed?

I can't drive at the moment and the train takes 1.5hrs similar distance...If necessary (i.e. dentist this morning at 9am) I'll get a £40 taxi to avoid having to book half a day.

Sir Fergie

795 posts

134 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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japgt said:
Why cant she just hire a car from enterprise or something?
Absolutely - yes its a headache shelling out for hire cars - but if you need to be somewhere - then you do what you have to do.

Sounds MUCH better then pissing off the client


Mojooo

12,668 posts

179 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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You've made it sound like oyu are being reasonable.

theboss

6,878 posts

218 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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I don't think you're being harsh OP - FFS - tell her that her services aren't required until she can get onsite, perhaps? She's only quibbling about the cost of taxis / hire cars because she thinks you'll just carry on paying her if she sits at home.

Vaud

50,289 posts

154 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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Contractor - their risk entirely.

Upside: higher pay. Downside: smaller safety net.

Suggest she finds ways and means to be in the office, including hire cars, etc as she is needed in person.

Then have serious word. I suspect you are being too nice.

Sir Fergie

795 posts

134 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
quotequote all
theboss said:
I don't think you're being harsh OP - FFS - tell her that her services aren't required until she can get onsite, perhaps? She's only quibbling about the cost of taxis / hire cars because she thinks you'll just carry on paying her if she sits at home.
This whole contractor thing wasn't something I was familiar with until I joined PH.

But from reading on here - I got the impression that they are on day rates - and that youd only bill for what you ACTUALLY worked.

So not doing any work = no pay????.

I understood the whole "contractor" thing - was that you were self employed - with the companies own staff being "permies" (permanent staff).


texasjohn

3,687 posts

230 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
quotequote all
Sir Fergie said:
This whole contractor thing wasn't something I was familiar with until I joined PH.

But from reading on here - I got the impression that they are on day rates - and that youd only bill for what you ACTUALLY worked.

So not doing any work = no pay????.

I understood the whole "contractor" thing - was that you were self employed - with the companies own staff being "permies" (permanent staff).
Semantics, really...this could be the case but not always (hence I asked if she was self employed, above).

A client might refer to employees of a contracting or consultancy organisation as 'contractors', using the term collectively, as they are not employees of his own organisation.

Personally, when I hear the word 'contractor' I assume a freelancer/self-employed individual.

Edited by texasjohn on Wednesday 3rd September 22:09

Ray Luxury-Yacht

8,910 posts

215 months

Wednesday 3rd September 2014
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She's being flaky. There are many ways to get to work!

Back when I had managed to get myself right up to a decent, board-level management position, it was a fairly well-accepted, but unspoken rule, that non-attendance would not be tolerated from any of the senior management, unless we were close to death from illness or injury (and even then, we were expected to work from a laptop from our death-beds biggrin )

So because I was trusted with such a position, with a salary that related to that, I always ensured that I had an alternative method of transport available. For a while, it was a 100cc moped / bike that I had in the garage, always ready to go as a last resort, should the car fail me.

Then after that, it was having two cars at my disposal. Public transport was a final fall-back, although with some of the hours I had to work, this might have been a bit tricky...

If my job was stacking shelves at Tesco, I wouldn't be too bothered. However, in a responsible position, then I would expect a responsible adult to have at least one back-up plan. The kind of flakiness you describe is the behaviour of an amateur, or a child.



davepoth

29,395 posts

198 months

Thursday 4th September 2014
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Quite. It's not as if she's in a space/time bubble, and if she's contracting I assume that spending her money on a taxi would still make it worth her while to come into the office?

I work about 20 miles from my house. When my car is in the garage I get up half an hour earlier and take public transport. It's not bloody rocket science.

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 4th September 2014
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Thats out of order, I realise its a pain not knowing when she will get the car back but that is not the OPs responsibility, perhaps a day or two W@H but then she should have made alternative arrangements to get into the office.

I would expect to have my contract terminated if I missed a client meeting in such a manner. I managed to get to Munich during the volcano ash thing a few years back, It quickly became clear that I wasn't flying there so drove there as did all the other stakeholders from all over europe, I did the presentation landed the contract and drove home.

I didn't expect a pat on the back it was my duty to be there.40p a mile was nice though.

CRB14

1,493 posts

151 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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As a contractor one thing I know is that, holidays aside, you get yourself into work come rain or shine, car or no car. A lack of transport is a poor excuse really. A breakdown is slightly different if its unexpected but I know my clients would not accept frequent absence. I'd be having a word along the lines of 'we expect you to be in'.

Soov535

35,829 posts

270 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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Vaud said:
Contractor - their risk entirely.

Upside: higher pay. Downside: smaller safety net.

Suggest she finds ways and means to be in the office, including hire cars, etc as she is needed in person.

Then have serious word. I suspect you are being too nice.
Riot Act.

Silly cow needs to hire a car at her cost. What a liberty.

theboss

6,878 posts

218 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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Update OP? Has she made it to the office yet?

Rude-boy

22,227 posts

232 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Soov535 said:
Vaud said:
Contractor - their risk entirely.

Upside: higher pay. Downside: smaller safety net.

Suggest she finds ways and means to be in the office, including hire cars, etc as she is needed in person.

Then have serious word. I suspect you are being too nice.
Riot Act.

Silly cow needs to hire a car at her cost. What a liberty.
Fully agree.

An employee should perhaps be given a day or two grace to sort their life out but that's about it. Hell if they weren't doing it I would be working out who lives nearby and might be able to give her a lift for them!

If they were a proper, paid by the day, contractor it would be a very simple - "You're not getting paid unless you are on site . I'll wear one working from home day, may be two but you are now taking the mickey out of me."

As said there is a difference between permie and contract so that would colour my view, a proper contractor should be like a proper professional - it does not matter how you do it (so long as legal) but you get the job done - that is why you get the bigger pay packet than the 9-5er.

nyt

1,803 posts

149 months

Friday 5th September 2014
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Is there an agency involved?

I'm sure that they can motivate the contractor.

prand

Original Poster:

5,910 posts

195 months

Friday 5th September 2014
quotequote all
Oh yes - no further problem (unfortunately doesn't make an interesting thread!), she's been in the rest of this week by catching the train. I've told her I was not happy with the car excuse and reminded her I would expect her to be in the office most days.

Case closed really, but thanks for those who did reinforce my thoughts. I feel if commuting to work, a car is a tool for work, that a contractor above anyone (as they are paid hansomely at my place) should have all these maintaned and working without issue, with backup, and perhaps more to make sure they are never left stuck at home.