Securing a good Work From Home from the off

**oliverson** · 31 July 2019, 12:49

Originally posted by PerfectStorm View Post

I've worked in a variety of businesses that all have different attitudes to WFH. Some roles entirely from home (rare), some where the office kinda goes quiet on Friday (normal) and others that seem to have some kind of nervous opposition to it (rare but annoying).

Those who have WFH baked into the contract from the off - how did you make it happen? Do you mention it to your recruiter up front, get something in the contract, bring it up at interview?

Any tips for making it happen?

I make it clear from the outset that I'm not interested in contracts that require me to be on site 5 days a week. Over the years WFH has become more accepted. Currently gig is 1-2 days from home, last one was 3 days. Next one has to be 2-3 days.

**SimonMac** · 31 July 2019, 13:14

I've never had it in the contract, but the key is setting expectations early ideally in the interview, I bring it up if I have to but working practices usually come up as part of the conversation.

I am a TWaT on this project (and in real life some would argue) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on site, although for the first couple of Monday's I am coming in to the office while I find my feet

**northernladuk** · 31 July 2019, 13:31

Originally posted by SimonMac View Post

I've never had it in the contract, but the key is setting expectations early ideally in the interview, I bring it up if I have to but working practices usually come up as part of the conversation.

Absolutely. Comments to the OP not SimonMc..You are interviewing them as well. You shouldn't really need it in the contract as a simple statement around Professional Working Day should suffice. Unless you really need it in to use against the client in the future it's best not to have set times or routines in. Coming and going as you please with no D&C is much better.

I am a TWaT on this project (and in real life some would argue) Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday on site, although for the first couple of Monday's I am coming in to the office while I find my feet

Deffo the coming in extra while finding feet bit for sure. Why not Friday though? Just your choice with the inconvenience to the family? Step too far?
Nailing it the first few weeks is key to a good gig. Show up, work hard and set some good expectations then you can ride the contract from there on in. Being bolshie and holding the client to stuff you don't really need to from day one, particularly if it stops you getting up to speed quicker gives the wrong impression.
I've never really pushed WFH, I'm not a fan really, but every single gig I've ever done WFH quickly became an option. I know other contractors that slacked from day one struggling to get it. I've also seen contractors that agree to a gig when they have to stay overnight and in the first week rock up demanding WFH. Nothing pisses a client off more than that. I had free reign to WFH when I wanted and they struggled to agree Monday and Friday.

OP. Are you only after a gig that has WFH 'baked in' or are you happy to start a gig full time, nail it and get WFH flexibility later?

**TheCyclingProgrammer** · 31 July 2019, 14:08

I make it happen by telling clients/agents that I’m only interested in remote roles from the outset. It may limit your leads but if you make your requirements clear up front then you can avoid wasting your time with clients who won’t entertain it.

I generally go direct so it isn’t normally a problem but I found my latest role through an agent. I’m generally happy to go on site for the first few weeks to settle in and that’s it. I don’t need to be on site to do what I do.

Feedback from current client has been excellent and it has been fed back to the agent. The agent knows what I’m looking for so I’m hopefully he can sell my services to his other clients including those who may not have considered remote (because I’m very good at what I do and have the experience and results to back it up).

**clearedforlanding** · 31 July 2019, 14:12

You are a Business. Define whether you want to work from your office or your clients.

Client either likes it or does not. Negotiate if you can be arsed.

HTH

**SimonMac** · 31 July 2019, 14:58

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

Deffo the coming in extra while finding feet bit for sure. Why not Friday though? Just your choice with the inconvenience to the family? Step too far?

Gov client, no bugger is in on a Friday

**cloudcontractor** · 31 July 2019, 15:58

Originally posted by clearedforlanding View Post

You are a Business. Define whether you want to work from your office or your clients.

Client either likes it or does not. Negotiate if you can be arsed.

HTH

Tbh this. Unless you're playing this game where you only pretend you're a business but actually work as an shadow employee, you are a business and have discretion over whether you need to attend at your client's place of business. The client might prefer you to be on site, but it's something you negotiate on a practical basis. Undue insistence that you have to be on site when there's no functional reason to be (e.g. a meeting, exposure to something you simply can't do remotely) should be an alarm bell that you're under direction and control.

**PerfectStorm** · 31 July 2019, 16:23

I think people realise that you get a lot of grief if you go round doing the Bertie big bollocks "I'm a business and I decide the terms" everywhere you go.

The reality is never as clean cut. Unless you want to go to a lot of effort getting and quickly losing gigs.

For those who've given practical advice - thank you!

**cloudcontractor** · 31 July 2019, 16:56

There needs to be a fundamental correction in the mindset of clients, contractors, and agencies. Not even in respect to private sector IR35 changes coming next year, but right now. The lazy and loose predilection of clients to treat contractors as an effective employees has got to stop. They might start to get the idea once its their business in the crosshairs for Tax and NI, but since it's yours right now you should be pushing for proper terms of engagement and the proper autonomy and discretion that comes with the running your own business. If you're ignoring all of that judging that HMRC probably won't come for you, think again.

I wouldn't mind so much but it doesn't take very much adjustment to have your relationship with the client written in the proper terms, with mutually understood independent working practices, and they'll still get the work out of you and value to their business, and your business will still take excellent revenue.

Just so you know I'm not talking crap - I offered notice 3 weeks into a contract recently when it became apparent that I was being treated as an employee. They had no coordinated project of work for me to do, so I was largely sat there awaiting dribs and drabs that occurred to them as time went on. They were inflexible about WFH despite there being no practical reason to be there, and generally speaking would have failed every IR35 working-practice test going. The day rate was excellent, but aside from being so dull I dreaded going there, the risk is simply too great. Against an enquiry I'd just have no defence, since they'd have regarded the working practices more strongly than the contract (which I'd already had run through Qdos and tweaked).

Now here's the bonus: When I handed the notice they wanted to know why, and we had a very productive meeting. They admitted that they rather thoughtlessly used contractors to backfill employees, and completely conceded on all of my points about working practices. They admitted they were only vaguely aware of the legislation but knew they needed to do something and properly think about what they wanted completed as defined project of work. They knew they weren't upholding their obligations properly and I felt bad for them because they'd clearly had no top-down training or guidance on the issue. Clients need to understand how to engage contractors properly, and you need to help teach them. They also asked if there was anything they could do to salvage the existing contract, which I didn't think there was, but they did ask whether I'd be available for a re-engagement once they'd got their act together. I said that would be good, and if not for me then at least to make life better for the next contractor they secure. If they actually think about what work they want doing properly, that person can work independently and without direction, and do so happy and safe knowing they're mitigating tulipty interpretation of IR35 rules as best they can.

As it is every goon I speak to from an agency at the moment has absolutely no idea when I talk about wanting the client to understand IR35-safe working practices. They haven't done any of their homework, it's news to them. They need teaching too. A recruiter said to me just today 'I haven't learned about any of that IR35 stuff yet but I'm waiting to go on a workshop on it'. Meanwhile the job description he sent me said 'Permanent, open to contract' - which is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. They just think you're basically an employee, they've scoped their role for a permie. All of the thinking is just backwards.

Or yeah, just keep your head down and do what your client wants - might work for a while yet......

Securing a good Work From Home from the off