Travel to another ClientCo site

**Zippy** · 24 November 2009, 15:22

What does the contract say about overtime?

**BoredBloke** · 24 November 2009, 16:02

Originally posted by BlackenedBiker View Post

I put from time I left house until time I got back to hotel on first day of travel and time I left hotel until time I got to my house door on the second day.

I'd say that was fair - it's what I used to do. I had another role where the travel day was a billable one - but then I was heading over to the west coast
of the US every couple of weeks. The travel was longer than the billable day, but I wasn't bothered as I wasn't doing any work - not a lot different to my 'in the office' hours but there you go!

**northernladuk** · 24 November 2009, 16:15

Seems this is in two areas I will put my reply in both...

How often are you going to be asked to travel? How are you with the client?
Are you paid hourly or daily? Did they give you options to travel i.e. during work time.

There is not enough information for us to make a reasonble opinion on your situation in my opinion. All we can do is give you examples of our situations.

I used to be paid daily and I was asked to travel very infrequently and a trip to Poland sounds like a bit of an experience. I got on well with client, enjoyed my job and didn't clock watch or act like a typical lazy contractor. In return I got the odd few hours off for dentist and car problems etc

I did the work, booked a normal day and banked a bit of good will that I was pretty sure would be returned when I required it and my reputation stayed good.

Quote:
I put from time I left house until time I got back to hotel on first day of travel and time I left hotel until time I got to my house door on the second day.

Again not enough information. How many hours do you spend travelling normally? It isn't normal to incude travel from your door to a location in a situation like this. It would be a compromise against what you normally commute. i.e. the extra above and beyond a normal day.

**BoredBloke** · 24 November 2009, 16:29

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Seems this is in two areas I will put my reply in both...

How often are you going to be asked to travel? How are you with the client?
Are you paid hourly or daily? Did they give you options to travel i.e. during work time.

There is not enough information for us to make a reasonble opinion on your situation in my opinion. All we can do is give you examples of our situations.

I used to be paid daily and I was asked to travel very infrequently and a trip to Poland sounds like a bit of an experience. I got on well with client, enjoyed my job and didn't clock watch or act like a typical lazy contractor. In return I got the odd few hours off for dentist and car problems etc

I did the work, booked a normal day and banked a bit of good will that I was pretty sure would be returned when I required it and my reputation stayed good.

Quote:
I put from time I left house until time I got back to hotel on first day of travel and time I left hotel until time I got to my house door on the second day.

Again not enough information. How many hours do you spend travelling normally? It isn't normal to incude travel from your door to a location in a situation like this. It would be a compromise against what you normally commute. i.e. the extra above and beyond a normal day.

Like most contractors I'm happy to provide a bit of wiggle room on this, but if the travel to a site which is not my normal one is seriously eating into my time and they have requested it then I'd expect something back in return. That could be financial or some paid time off - like when you have appointments etc. I think it's unfair to ask somebody to spend endless hours travelling and not give them any recognition for their time that their request has taken up.

**northernladuk** · 24 November 2009, 16:38

Originally posted by TonyEnglish View Post

Like most contractors I'm happy to provide a bit of wiggle room on this, but if the travel to a site which is not my normal one is seriously eating into my time and they have requested it then I'd expect something back in return. That could be financial or some paid time off - like when you have appointments etc. I think it's unfair to ask somebody to spend endless hours travelling and not give them any recognition for their time that their request has taken up.

I agree, thats why I mentioned time for appointments and car problems etc halfway down my response.

Again it is all circumstantial. I don't see this as endless hours. I see it as a bit of s**t happens and there are plenty of ways of sorting it through negotiation and good relations.

Again, it all depends on whether this is a 2 off or a regular thing.

**EternalOptimist** · 24 November 2009, 16:41

I am wondering if the second site was at the bottom of your street, would you offer to pay them some money back.

**BlackenedBiker** · 25 November 2009, 08:22

Originally posted by EternalOptimist View Post

I am wondering if the second site was at the bottom of your street, would you offer to pay them some money back.

Are you a businessman EO or a disguised employee?

I was travelling on company business for 10 hours, should my business absorb the cost of this and therefore decrease my hourly rate?

What happens when the ClientCo decides that actually they need me to travel every third week. "Well you were alright with absorbing the costs then".

Try this, ask your accountant/lawyer/doctor/dentist/architect to travel to Poland for you. Then refuse to pay them for travel time, see how long you spend argueing in court and how much it will ultimately cost you.

**BlackenedBiker** · 25 November 2009, 08:25

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Seems this is in two areas I will put my reply in both...

How often are you going to be asked to travel? How are you with the client?
Are you paid hourly or daily? Did they give you options to travel i.e. during work time.

There is not enough information for us to make a reasonble opinion on your situation in my opinion. All we can do is give you examples of our situations.

I used to be paid daily and I was asked to travel very infrequently and a trip to Poland sounds like a bit of an experience. I got on well with client, enjoyed my job and didn't clock watch or act like a typical lazy contractor. In return I got the odd few hours off for dentist and car problems etc

I did the work, booked a normal day and banked a bit of good will that I was pretty sure would be returned when I required it and my reputation stayed good.

Quote:
I put from time I left house until time I got back to hotel on first day of travel and time I left hotel until time I got to my house door on the second day.

Again not enough information. How many hours do you spend travelling normally? It isn't normal to incude travel from your door to a location in a situation like this. It would be a compromise against what you normally commute. i.e. the extra above and beyond a normal day.

Is it any wonder that we get mistaken for disguised employees.

So you suggest that should you claim for travel time to a non-normal point of view, your reputation will be effected. Surely it should simply be a business decision on affordability.

**EternalOptimist** · 25 November 2009, 08:44

Originally posted by BlackenedBiker View Post

Are you a businessman EO or a disguised employee?

I was travelling on company business for 10 hours, should my business absorb the cost of this and therefore decrease my hourly rate?

What happens when the ClientCo decides that actually they need me to travel every third week. "Well you were alright with absorbing the costs then".

Try this, ask your accountant/lawyer/doctor/dentist/architect to travel to Poland for you. Then refuse to pay them for travel time, see how long you spend argueing in court and how much it will ultimately cost you.

whoooosh!!
that was the point going right over your head.

my point was that it is YOU who are acting like an employee, fiddling around with the hours on a timesheet.

I was asked to goto Singapore by my client during one particular contract. It was unforseen at the outset and so was never discussed at the initial contract stage.
I offered to suspend the contract for the duration of the trip, made an offer for a fixed price deal, they accepted.

try that approach.

Travel to another ClientCo site