Contracting and hours worked

[mondeoman]

Do you just do your contracted hours or do you do more, even if you don't get paid overtime?

[Tribal Chestnut]

mondeoman said:

Do you just do your contracted hours or do you do more, even if you don't get paid overtime?

Too many variables - rate, future workflow, regularity of addl hrs, personal relationships, etc, etc.

So I suppose the answer is yes, and no.

[mondeoman]

A year long contract, not a brilliant rate but more than enough to live on, good possibility of it being extended annually and nice people to work with.
Not talking about walking out of a meeting, but want to be seen as professional.

[casbar]

Too many variables, but I get paid by the day, contract doesn't say what a day is, or you could be seen as an employee. So some days if required I work longer, some days I go on time, some days if there isn't a lot on, I take some time back

[mondeoman]

40 hrs a week, total of 2000 per year. Just trying to get a feel for what is reasonable. Other work I've done I've always done more than expected, just to make sure things get done properly.

[spikeyhead]

If you're contracted to do 40 hours a week then do 40. Obviously if the 40 finished halfway through a chat with a client don't walk out of the door. If it becomes obvious that you'll get to 40 on Thursday or early Friday morning then negotiate some extra hours if you want to, or get the Friday off. Don't bill every hour you spend on site, don't be seen as being inflexible and don't work 50 or 60 hours a week when they are only paying you for 40.

[Gaspode]

I'm on a day rate, supposedly based on a 7.4 hour day. Some days I do more, some days I do less, it evens itself out in the end. I would certainly never say 'no' when it came to doing something, but usually I find it's the other way round, the permies are buggering off home first.

[mondeoman]

spikeyhead said:

If you're contracted to do 40 hours a week then do 40. Obviously if the 40 finished halfway through a chat with a client don't walk out of the door. If it becomes obvious that you'll get to 40 on Thursday or early Friday morning then negotiate some extra hours if you want to, or get the Friday off. Don't bill every hour you spend on site, don't be seen as being inflexible and don't work 50 or 60 hours a week when they are only paying you for 40.

Thats what I thought - the pragmatic approach . Just dont want to get caught in the trap of them thinking of me as a permie by overdoing the hours.

[theboss]

I'm on a daily rate and whilst expected to work 8 hours a day hours are quite flexible and I work autonomously without supervision. I will often spend 10-12 hours a day onsite (I stay away midweek so don't have a home to go back to) but then make no hiding of the fact that I may take a long lunch or disappear to speak to another client on the phone for half an hour. Overall I am able to perform the services expected of me but without my presence onsite equating to "their time" exclusively. I work amongst many other contractors and some guys will just work the exact hours expected of them but without breaking to do anything else. Each to their own.

[Freakuk]

Swings and roundabouts, some weeks are slow so probably do 30-35 hours, busy weeks up to 50-60 just depends, I don't count the hours on a day rate. I just do what it takes to get the job done and any value add.

Always seems to keep me in favour.

[Shaoxter]

Whatever's necessary (within reason). Sometimes I have stuff to attend to and leave at 5pm, sometimes there's a tight deadline coming up and I get in early/stay late. Today I came in at 7am and planning to leave at 2pm to catch a flight, no lunch and still claiming a full day

Helps that I used to be a permie at the same place and know everyone well, but it probably all averages out in the end. Watching the clock and sticking rigidly to your contracted hours is penny wise and pound foolish IMO.

Obviously it also depends on the culture of the company.

[98elise]

I'm on a day rate but regularly need to work 12 hours overnight at weekends. I still get the day rate regardless.