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Contractor commuter family formula

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    Contractor commuter family formula

    Reading the commuter threads / BBC stories I'm aghast at the sacrifices made all in order to earn a few bucks. So it got me thinking; what would you pay per hour to be with family?

    The £12.50 p/h local contract job versus the £25p/h with a 2 hour commute each way (please dear <insert invisible being name here> tell me no one commutes two hours each way just to be inside the higher tax bracket). What coefficients would I use to measure the value of time away from family?

    Obviously the daily expenses. T, travel; S, subsistence; and so forth, let's say:
    T&S @ £200 a week @ £25p/h with 2 hour commute, umbrella take home inside ir35 after 40 hours: £1931 a month versus
    T&S £0 a week @ £12.50p/h locally, <10min commute umbrella take home inside ir35 after 40 hours £1328 a month

    Now 4 hours a day travelling, that's 20 hours a week, or 73 hours PCM away from family (perhaps that's your objective), or £8.20p/h not to be with family.

    £8.20 p/h for 73 hours PCM,

    I'd pay that myself to be with family not vice versa, but others may think differently. Not to mentioned the wear and tear of travel that helps speed you on the way to an early grave.

    Any other coefficients I should consider?


    family time p/h = [(commute income rate less expenses) - (local income)] / monthly commuting hours
    "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". Mark Twain

    #2
    Originally posted by scooterscot View Post
    Reading the commuter threads / BBC stories I'm aghast at the sacrifices made all in order to earn a few bucks. So it got me thinking; what would you pay per hour to be with family?

    The £12.50 p/h local contract job versus the £25p/h with a 2 hour commute each way (please dear <insert invisible being name here> tell me no one commutes two hours each way just to be inside the higher tax bracket). What coefficients would I use to measure the value of time away from family?

    Obviously the daily expenses. T, travel; S, subsistence; and so forth, let's say:
    T&S @ £200 a week @ £25p/h with 2 hour commute, umbrella take home inside ir35 after 40 hours: £1931 a month versus
    T&S £0 a week @ £12.50p/h locally, <10min commute umbrella take home inside ir35 after 40 hours £1328 a month

    Now 4 hours a day travelling, that's 20 hours a week, or 73 hours PCM away from family (perhaps that's your objective), or £8.20p/h not to be with family.

    £8.20 p/h for 73 hours PCM,

    I'd pay that myself to be with family not vice versa, but others may think differently. Not to mentioned the wear and tear of travel that helps speed you on the way to an early grave.

    Any other coefficients I should consider?


    family time p/h = [(commute income rate less expenses) - (local income)] / monthly commuting hours
    The cost of the divorce if you spend too much time apart (or too much time together)?

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by mudskipper View Post
      The cost of the divorce if you spend too much time apart (or too much time together)?
      Who the fook gets out of bed for £25 per hour?
      Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
        Who the fook gets out of bed for £25 per hour?
        That's what I thought. I figured I misunderstood the post.

        If you double/triple that then the result doesn't sound anywhere near as bad.

        It's not just about money either - the reason i went contracting is because it was hard to find good projects working locally - so if i have to travel for good work I might as well do it as a contractor. At least that way if the gig turns out to suck I know i'm off in a few months.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
          Who the fook gets out of bed for £25 per hour?
          Over twenty eight and a half million people in the UK according to wikipedia, and less than that.
          "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". Mark Twain

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by scooterscot View Post
            Over twenty eight and a half million people in the UK according to wikipedia, and less than that.
            And are all of them contractors?
            Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by suityou01 View Post
              And are all of them contractors?
              I'm sure a great many of them commute, even if permie. Indeed I'm certain many of them shall be temporary workers with no paid holidays. The government has recently been boasting about bringing unemployment down, but many new positions are temporary.
              "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". Mark Twain

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by scooterscot View Post
                I'm sure a great many of them commute, even if permie. Indeed I'm certain many of them shall be temporary workers with no paid holidays. The government has recently been boasting about bringing unemployment down, but many new positions are temporary.
                The thing is that if you had a choice of working locally or commuting 2 hours as in your example, for £12.50, then anyone who chose to commute wouldn't be doing it for the money. I can't think of any likely 2 hour commute that wouldn't cost £12.50 or more in petrol/train fare etc.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by SpontaneousOrder View Post
                  The thing is that if you had a choice of working locally or commuting 2 hours as in your example, for £12.50, then anyone who chose to commute wouldn't be doing it for the money. I can't think of any likely 2 hour commute that wouldn't cost £12.50 or more in petrol/train fare etc.
                  Exactly. Actually in my example the earnings during commuting was less @ £8.20p/h.

                  I'd like more folks to consider what they're working for for that time spent away from family. My guess many don't have a clue. In the early years of contracting I was too focused on the rate. Today I'm more focused on knowing what a client is prepared to pay me for not being with my family.
                  "Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience". Mark Twain

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by scooterscot View Post
                    I'm sure a great many of them commute, even if permie. Indeed I'm certain many of them shall be temporary workers with no paid holidays. The government has recently been boasting about bringing unemployment down, but many new positions are temporary.
                    You stat is
                    Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

                    Comment

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