
It's usual for the average employee to work 40 hours each week,
which is pretty much the norm across most industries. But what
about contractors? Are the rules the same or are they expected to
work more....or less?
One of the things that a paying client will frequently forget is
that contractors are NOT the same as their direct employees. Most
are working outside of IR35, or least attempting to, which means
they are in business in their own right and not therefore
restricted to 9 - 5 working hours.
The true measure in any employment situation is not one of time
anyway; it should be a question of productivity. A freelance
contractor, through diligent management of their time and efforts,
may produce much better results than any employee - even with just
a few hours a day. Tracking results rather than time is frequently
becoming a more reliable indicator of the value provided by
contractors.
The unfortunate reality is that sometimes this doesn't work in
practice, particularly for large-scale project based work where
people need to be in constant contact with the project
co-ordinators and other key members of the team. It can often
create quite a setback to the project if, as a remote working
contractor, you're not on hand and directly accessible between the
core hours of 9am - 5pm. There's clearly a trade off required. For
example, as a contractor, you could successfully deliver your own
piece of the project on time, but it is every bit as important to
help the rest of the team achieve it's overall objectives.
Nevertheless, tracking your own productivity (and improving it)
can place you head and shoulders above the average candidate for
future assignments. Whether or not you work a normal 8 hour day is
entirely dependent on the contract or project you are being paid to
deliver. Use a common sense approach. If you're charging a day
rate, work enough hours to justify the amount being paid - and if
the client categorically does need you on-site between
core hours, then i'm afraid you'll have to bite the bullet work the
clock.
Whatever agreement you come to regarding working hours, it's
important to have this conversation before an assignment even
begins. As a contractor, your number one priority is to establish
and cement long-term working relationships. If both you and the
client agree an 'average' working day from the outset, there will
be no issue further down the line.
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