One of the problems with considering a return to permanent employment after seven years as a freelancer is the amount of holiday time you get (or rather, the lack of holiday time you get).
For the last seven year I've been taking holidays whenever I want. I estimate that I've had about six weeks off a year on average. I haven't really had to think about it. I just take the time off and the client doesn't pay me for those days.
Now I have to consider dealing with the UK standard holiday entitlement of four weeks[1]. I've already got five weeks planned for the second half of this year, so it seems like a lot of that will need to be curtailed :(
[1] I realise, of course, that this seems like heaven to people in other parts of the world.
Re:four days?
davorg on 2002-06-09T15:56:19
Oops. I meant for weeks. I've corrected it now.
This seems quite depressing when people get 20-25 off back home. Though I can always take time off unpaid I guess.
This is kinda a moot point because I've only taken 1 day off in the 8 months I have been here and that was the 26th of Dec as it isn't a holiday here
Only 10 days!!!!
htoug on 2002-06-11T08:01:35
.. and we have felt that 6 weeks was too little and have gotten an ekstra week this year...
But then we do deserve it with our harsh schedule of 34 hours/week;-) Vacancies? Yes, we do have some, but it's in Denmark.
Re:unpaid leave
davorg on 2002-06-10T16:27:44
It's a possibility. But given that I'm already taking a 50% cut in income to go permie, I'm not sure I can afford to do that
:) Re:unpaid leave
jah on 2002-06-11T16:38:48
I work in the City (London) and I went Permie late last year after 7 years of contracting. While the money decrease is a pain, IR35 was such a nightmare that I'm happier out of it. Maybe I'm just lucky but I have 30 days annual leave:-) But I don't think that's unusual in the financial sector. Whereas contractors have had to take pay cuts of between 10-20% in a lot of the bigger banks. The way I feel at the moment is that I just got out in time.
My father has six weeks, but he's worked for the same company for 35 years to get it.
A friend of mine decided a while ago that he needed four weeks minimum. He negotiated with his employer when he was hired for a higher salary than he needed, then said, "I'll make you a deal. I'll trade cash for vacation." And traded a few thousand dollars a year for four weeks. He also saves money out of each check specifically into a savings account until he has two weeks pay. He then takes two three week vacations a year. Three weeks in hawaii in the beginning of the year, three in a mountain cabin in colorado in the fall.
