Topic: Working From Home

[Crosby Nick]

I feel like I’ve become that person DS is talking about in the last couple of weeks. Trouble is, the office is enough of a novelty to be unproductive there too at the moment!

Basically waiting for a role up but in the team I’m in it’s a bit like Dead Man’s Shoes in terms of waiting for something to crop up and feeing a bit stale.

[Elmo!]

People can say all they like about working for large corporate entities.

My work are trialling a few different ways of working. I'm part of a a trial starting a nine day fortnight from next week. We aren't in effect doing compressed hours.

Basically we are being trusted to get the work done in nine days

I don't do a nine day fortnight but do half day Fridays. I'm technically contracted to work 40 hours a week but because I work exclusively with one client who do the half day Fridays I get it off too and only work 36 hours a week and still get paid for 40.

This thread is a nice reminder that there are loads of shitty employers out there and while mine aren't perfect, on the whole it is a pretty good place to work. I could earn more if I went job hopping but I value having a workplace that I enjoy more than that.

[Wabaloolah]

Just been offered a new job, WFH aside from occasional days in the London office. Not decided whether to take it or not yet as it's a contracting role whereas at the moment I have a permanent job.

Anyone have any experience of contracting (IT Sector). It's inside IR35 so will get paid through an umbrella company

[thaddeus]

Just been offered a new job, WFH aside from occasional days in the London office. Not decided whether to take it or not yet as it's a contracting role whereas at the moment I have a permanent job.

Anyone have any experience of contracting (IT Sector). It's inside IR35 so will get paid through an umbrella company

I did it for just over five years and it really depended on who the contract was with whether it was rewarding or excruciating.  The money was certainly good and I'd have stuck with it but it didn't sit well alongside family life (maybe different now that home working is much more commonplace).

[Wabaloolah]

I did it for just over five years and it really depended on who the contract was with whether it was rewarding or excruciating.  The money was certainly good and I've had stuck with it but it didn't sit well alongside family life (maybe different now that home working is much more commonplace).

yes almost double my current salary  in take home pay, not sure I can afford to turn it down.

The downside is it's a six month contract initially with a likelihood it could continue beyond that. It's for a London Council.

A nice problem to have but one that's going to cause me a sleepless night I think!

[AndyInVA]

yes almost double my current salary  in take home pay, not sure I can afford to turn it down.

The downside is it's a six month contract initially with a likelihood it could continue beyond that. It's for a London Council.

A nice problem to have but one that's going to cause me a sleepless night I think!

Double ?, sheesh, that's doesn't seem like too much of a brain ache.

6 month contract doesn't seem abnormal for someone they haven't worked with before. My feeling is contractors often get limited contracts initially in case they turn out to be duds. Even if you hate it, you can tolerate it for 6 months and have bought yourself another 6 months to find something else at your effective current rate.

[ToneLa]

Just been offered a new job, WFH aside from occasional days in the London office. Not decided whether to take it or not yet as it's a contracting role whereas at the moment I have a permanent job.

Anyone have any experience of contracting (IT Sector). It's inside IR35 so will get paid through an umbrella company

Yep, though all cards on table, glad I left it. The gaps between jobs, and the lack of a sense of progression were my downsides.

It is almost certainly going to be better financially for you not to use an umbrella company, but they do remove a lot of ballache while they take their slice. I also never found benefits useful from them, though that's true of many perm jobs

If you wish to do it long term I think you'd need to underpin it with your own study for a sense of progression. Councils can be interesting places to be, but not necessarily moneyed up, and definitely not in the IT dept. Hey, London"s might be different, just saying it may well be a different atmosphere with less tech / different obstacles than a corporate role. May not matter to you depending on the role, depending on you. WFH gives certain distance of course!

Go in with open eyes and you'll be fine. The six months will be probation or similar. I wouldn't see it as a permanent job even if it lasts years in the end but that's just me.

Be canny and package yourself if you make the leap - new job, new title? New skills, new experience, who can command a better rate. And of course, you're only as valuable as the last rate you commanded.

[Wabaloolah]

Thanks both, career progression has never really bothered me, I've been pretty much in the same role for the last 18 years although the company has changed hands a number of times, probably a case of now or never

I am going to have a conversation with my manager next week and will go from there!

[ToneLa]

good luck! (or hope it went well if it happened today!)

[PaulF]

Limited company is a ballache, but comes with decent incentives. If you have regular takes home pay out should be simple enough to get it all set up, then it's just a couple of forms to fill in. A decent accountant will sort it for you. But by the time you've paid them it might be worth just going with an umbrella.

[ToneLa]

you can do it all yourself, soft lad here did! just stay on the ball

Umbrella companies take so much....  I did use some, though. If I liked the bonuses (the best one gave me an Asda card that knocked 10% off my weekly shop if I put money on it)

[Wabaloolah]

good luck! (or hope it went well if it happened today!)

cheers, had a chat with my boss, she is going to have a chat with the higher ups to see if they can come up with an offer as she doesn't want me to go.

I still think I will take the role, but have to hand my notice in by Thursday. They would have to offer me a lot to stay and I don't think they will.

If I do take the role I will look into a limited company for my next contract

[Wabaloolah]

you can do it all yourself, soft lad here did! just stay on the ball

Umbrella companies take so much....  I did use some, though. If I liked the bonuses (the best one gave me an Asda card that knocked 10% off my weekly shop if I put money on it)

the fee is £15 a week, doesn't sound much but works out about £1300 a year I think

[Wabaloolah]

Limited company is a ballache, but comes with decent incentives. If you have regular takes home pay out should be simple enough to get it all set up, then it's just a couple of forms to fill in. A decent accountant will sort it for you. But by the time you've paid them it might be worth just going with an umbrella.

yes, my mate is an accountant, I'll have a word with him the next time I see him

[Jiminy Cricket]

the fee is £15 a week, doesn't sound much but works out about £1300 a year I think

? Probably just a simple typo. But £15/wk = £780/yr. And £1,300/yr = £25/wk.

[PaulF]

? Probably just a simple typo. But £15/wk = £780/yr. And £1,300/yr = £25/wk.

And that's still about half what i suspect it is 😃.  Plus Ni takes a fair chunk.

[Jiminy Cricket]

And that's still about half what i suspect it is 😃.  Plus Ni takes a fair chunk.

No idea, mate. I only replied because the numbers did not add up.

[Crimson]

New company policy is two days at home, rest in the office. Suits me nicely to be honest. As long as I can be flexible what those two days are 

[Scottymuser]

Double ?, sheesh, that's doesn't seem like too much of a brain ache.

6 month contract doesn't seem abnormal for someone they haven't worked with before. My feeling is contractors often get limited contracts initially in case they turn out to be duds. Even if you hate it, you can tolerate it for 6 months and have bought yourself another 6 months to find something else at your effective current rate.

I was a contractor in the finance sector (SAS primarily) - I spent 6 years doing it total - 4 years at one bank, and then 2 years at another.  At no point did I have a contract that was longer than 6 months (and at times, 3 months) - yet they kept extending it.  The issue from their side is the IR35 stufdf - even if you are being paid inside IR35, that doesn't mean the originating company/govt would be complyiung with things like benefits - and thats usually why the contracts are 6 months long mostly.

[Scottymuser]

you can do it all yourself, soft lad here did! just stay on the ball

Umbrella companies take so much....  I did use some, though. If I liked the bonuses (the best one gave me an Asda card that knocked 10% off my weekly shop if I put money on it)

Nowadays, most banks (my area of expertise) won't let you use a Ltd Company (this was the case last year at least before I left the contracting sector) - because using a limited company by itself (instead of an umbrella company or similar) mucks up with IR35 and their liability for taxes.  Back in 2020/1, all of the contractors I knew where basically told that their next extension couldn't be using a  limited company, and that if they didn't want to use either an umbrella company, or the bank's Managed Service Provider to process PAYE, then they could leave.  Might still be a thing.

[ToneLa]

What? That's mad! Has nothing to do with your bank, you declare your own taxes.

Banks - I hate them. That's outrageous.

[Crosby Nick]

What? That's mad! Has nothing to do with your bank, you declare your own taxes.

Banks - I hate them. That's outrageous.

I think he means of you work for a bank.

[red_Mark1980]

I think he means of you work for a bank.

If you're contracting what can the employer do? The rate is the rate

[PaulF]

If you're contracting what can the employer do? The rate is the rate

The employer can choose to use someone else?

[Crosby Nick]

If you're contracting what can the employer do? The rate is the rate

I’ve worked at places that had loads of contractors and bit by but they had to accept a permanent role or leave. Some stayed and others went elsewhere.

[red_Mark1980]

The employer can choose to use someone else?

Well yes, but thats the nature of contractors. We've had people leave with no notice and similarly the company can jib them off.

I’ve worked at places that had loads of contractors and bit by but they had to accept a permanent role or leave. Some stayed and others went elsewhere.

Well that too, but in my experience the employer will let the contractor decide whether to use an umbrella company or use their own LTD company.

A friend of mine was working for a bank fairly recently as a LTD company.

I'd hazard a guess it'll differ from employer to employer and won't be an industry specific "rule" as such.

[Wabaloolah]

? Probably just a simple typo. But £15/wk = £780/yr. And £1,300/yr = £25/wk.

yes spot on meant £25 per week but have found a different one which is less now.

[Wabaloolah]

Handed my notice in as the higher ups haven't come back and offered me an increase. It's a gamble but mortgage is just about paid off, son has now moved out and daughter is not going to uni so seems like a good time to do something different.

I may regret it but think I would always be wondering what if otherwise...

[Crosby Nick]

Handed my notice in as the higher ups haven't come back and offered me an increase. It's a gamble but mortgage is just about paid off, son has now moved out and daughter is not going to uni so seems like a good time to do something different.

I may regret it but think I would always be wondering what if otherwise...

Good luck!

[ToneLa]

Handed my notice in as the higher ups haven't come back and offered me an increase. It's a gamble but mortgage is just about paid off, son has now moved out and daughter is not going to uni so seems like a good time to do something different.

I may regret it but think I would always be wondering what if otherwise...

Hey sometimes you gotta live dangerously. I think you regret the "why didn't I?" decisions more than the things you tried, even if they didn't come off

Your higher ups dropped the ball, you've got a chance here. Good luck!

[The G in Gerrard]

Handed in my notice for a job with greater working from home and in central London for the day/s I need to be in the office. Delighted.

[Jiminy Cricket]

Handed my notice in as the higher ups haven't come back and offered me an increase. It's a gamble but mortgage is just about paid off, son has now moved out and daughter is not going to uni so seems like a good time to do something different.

I may regret it but think I would always be wondering what if otherwise...

Good luck!

[Jiminy Cricket]

Handed in my notice for a job with greater working from home and in central London for the day/s I need to be in the office. Delighted.

And good luck to you too!

[paulrazor]

Had a zoom the other day

As I said before I have been working from home permanently since March 2020, only 2 days in office since (1 to pick up a laptop, the other to clear my desk as work was being done)

Suits me well, I can drop the wee man to school in the morning and if I finish at 4pm then its great, loads more time at home as when I worked in the office I was driving 650 miles a week, costing me around 80 quid a week in diesel, probably around 120 these days as well as maybe 3 car services.

I have saved for the first time in donkies, so got loads done to the house, few trips here and there and a few grand put aside

zoom the other day they said the department have finally got legislation in to allow work from home properly but will probably not allow it full time,

As per a zoom the other day they reckon I can do one day a week. it could be a lot worse

Could definitely cope with that. Its likely it will stay that way until January (due to start that pattern in september), hopefully they dont try edge us up to 2/3 days a week

[The G in Gerrard]

And good luck to you too!

Cheers! Got same salary as current one without any managerial responsibilities.

[Wabaloolah]

Good luck!

Good luck!

Hey sometimes you gotta live dangerously. I think you regret the "why didn't I?" decisions more than the things you tried, even if they didn't come off

Your higher ups dropped the ball, you've got a chance here. Good luck!

thanks guys appreciate that

[Barneylfc∗]

Handed my notice in as the higher ups haven't come back and offered me an increase. It's a gamble but mortgage is just about paid off, son has now moved out and daughter is not going to uni so seems like a good time to do something different.

I may regret it but think I would always be wondering what if otherwise...

Handed in my notice for a job with greater working from home and in central London for the day/s I need to be in the office. Delighted.

Good luck with it 

[paulrazor]

Good luck with moves

[AndyInVA]

As per a zoom the other day they reckon I can do one day a week. it could be a lot worse

It all seems so arbitrary to put a stupid time line on things than dragging yourself in to an office just because someone thinks you should

would be so much more sensible if it was

come in for training
come in for staff changes and meeting people
team building
review of work performed

than some BS waste of time one day a week

[I've been a good boy]

I love the reasoning they give for coming into the office. To mix with your co-workers better and get to know them a bit more. Why would I want to know my co-workers, they're not a life partner or family members and we all just get on with our work. Our department has had a very high staff turnover rate since the pandemic began so there's obviously something toxic behind the scenes that's I'm not aware of and it's just a bullshit reason to keep an eye on people or try to improve morale.