Overtime

[DiscoStu]

Was reading the working day thread and I thought of something.

My contract stipulates a "professional working day" of 9 hours if required. However, I've always been paid overtime with client contact's agreement for anything over 7.5.

So my question is this. Have the terms for working hours in my conract been superceded by working practice? E.g. If at a later date I was asked to do a 9 hour day would I be entitled to ask to be paid for any hours worked over 7.5?

[scooterscot]

You work XX hours you charge XX hours. End of.

Overtime what's that?

I recall I charged 60+ hours because of some addtional work at the weekend that needed doing. My invoice charged 60+ hours at rate agreed.

I suggest you need to stop thinking like an employee.

[chicane]

Overtime is a permie concept.

[PAH]

You could ask but unless it's in the contract and you go via an agency don't expect them to pay any extra.

I try to get additional clauses added for overtime if they're not already present. Such as time and a half for over 40 hours a week, or double time for weekends. Sometimes they'll offer time and a half if working over 8 hours in a day.

At the start of the contract the client doesn't usually kick up a fuss, probably thinking they'll never need to pay the extra, but experience tells me otherwise.

Worse case scenario by having the extra clauses is I get 'let go' for the late-shift or weekend work while the others slave on. I can live with that.

[PAH]

Overtime is a permie concept.

I think of it more as emergency out of hours cover rather than overtime. If they need me to save their arses, they're usually willing to pay more for me to stick around longer.

[ratewhore]

I'm always on a day rate, make it clear that I am based on deliverables, not time, and therefore there is no requirement for an overtime rate...

[Keldin]

Charge for the hours you work.
When I've charged by the day and needed to add extra for work past 5 or 6pm I've added up the hours each time until it comes to a half day (4 hour) and charged accordingly. The alternative is to switch to billing by the hour.

I've never understood why agencies keep putting down 'professional working day' in any job ads. When you charge by the day the day is as you aggree it at the start. There's no such thing as a 'professional working day'.

K

[ratewhore]

There's no such thing as a 'professional working day'.

Exactly...

[Dow Jones]

Flipside to the coin...

Agree with RW-I personally go for 'professional day', thereby I can turn up at 10.00 if I don't have metings (or any time between 07.00 and 12.00) and leave 8 hours later. You are treated as a professional by all means (inc IR35). By doing an hourly rate, you are more like a temp and although you can squeeze the odd extra hour here and there, you will be subjected to the exact 09.00-17.00 routine (otherwise, how is one supposed to keep an eye on you) and occasionally to the odd unsociable hours, ie for any code fixes coming late, someone had to work 14.00-22.00 on those days. It's OK to be greedy, although there is a flipside to the coin.

[chicane]

you will be subjected to the exact 09.00-17.00 routine (otherwise, how is one supposed to keep an eye on you)

Work for less paranoid clients?