Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Are you working fixed hours, or are you flexible with your time? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
|
This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Are you working fixed hours, or are you flexible with your time?".
View the poll results »
| | |
I’m as flexible with my daily schedule as being a freelancer permits. Some days I start working early in the morning and I work until the sun goes down, others I don’t work at all. This means that everything is movable and clamps in place when needed, but I do have a set date for two tasks: I allocate part of the last day of the month for invoicing my clients and part of the first day of the month to pay my bills and gather all the documents to send to my accountant. | | |
is the beauty of being a freelancer. I try to keep my hours between 9 am and 9 pm. But I am not always stuck to the computer during those hours. I may have various appointments or even go shopping when there is a window. | | | Marjolein Snippe Netherlands Local time: 10:40 Member (2012) English to Dutch + ... Office hours | Oct 11, 2019 |
Unlike some freelancers, I chose freelancing not in order to work flexible hours; I choose to work only during office hours and do not read or reply to emails outside these. Evenings and weekends are when most of my friends are available and I choose to spend time with them. | |
|
|
R. Alex Jenkins Brazil Local time: 05:40 Member (2006) Portuguese to English + ...
The first time I had to work late on Friday night I was thoroughly annoyed, followed by regular Saturdays and even Sundays on occasion, but you get through it and adapt. For example, I'm a little bit slack this morning and therefore have the time to compose this message, and I might make the lunch today if the expected work doesn't arrive in the next couple of hours. Try and go with the flow and enjoy the moment when you can, that's my advice.
[Edited at 2019-10-11 12:53 GMT] | | | I have a full-time freelance contract | Oct 11, 2019 |
Till August, I had a 12 month contract with a recruitment agency, being paid 35h/week. My work schedule was 8AM to 4PM with a laptop provided by the agency's client. The latter has since requested I remain their full-time freelancer, invoicing them every two weeks with the detail of all the projects I did for them. but I don't have to be exclusive. So I can work as many or as little hours as I wish, making myself available between 8AM and 4PM, but if there's not enough work, I can work on my oth... See more Till August, I had a 12 month contract with a recruitment agency, being paid 35h/week. My work schedule was 8AM to 4PM with a laptop provided by the agency's client. The latter has since requested I remain their full-time freelancer, invoicing them every two weeks with the detail of all the projects I did for them. but I don't have to be exclusive. So I can work as many or as little hours as I wish, making myself available between 8AM and 4PM, but if there's not enough work, I can work on my other contracts on my personal computer. ▲ Collapse | | | Sebastian Witte Germany Local time: 10:40 Member (2004) English to German + ... Work load-adjusted overtime principle, like most | Oct 11, 2019 |
Hi, Like most translators, we try to be as much at the computer as we possibly can during our official office hours and try to stay reachable during those when something requires our urgent attention outside the translation business (using a contemporary mobile phone with BlueMail email client on it). Outside our office hours, we adjust to workload needs so that at the end of the week, so to speak, there has been just enough leisure time to sustain in the long run while having cater... See more Hi, Like most translators, we try to be as much at the computer as we possibly can during our official office hours and try to stay reachable during those when something requires our urgent attention outside the translation business (using a contemporary mobile phone with BlueMail email client on it). Outside our office hours, we adjust to workload needs so that at the end of the week, so to speak, there has been just enough leisure time to sustain in the long run while having catered to all customers and almost all prospective buyers. I should add that following this pretty typical translation business work pattern is really much easier if you are not working on your own. Cheers, Sebastian Witte ▲ Collapse | | | Work load-adjusted overtime principle, like most | Oct 11, 2019 |
Hi, Like most translators, we try to be as much at the computer as we possibly can during our official office hours and try to stay reachable during those when something requires our urgent attention outside the translation business (using a contemporary mobile phone with BlueMail email client on it). Outside our office hours, we adjust to workload needs so that at the end of the week, so to speak, there has been just enough leisure time to sustain in the long run while having cater... See more Hi, Like most translators, we try to be as much at the computer as we possibly can during our official office hours and try to stay reachable during those when something requires our urgent attention outside the translation business (using a contemporary mobile phone with BlueMail email client on it). Outside our office hours, we adjust to workload needs so that at the end of the week, so to speak, there has been just enough leisure time to sustain in the long run while having catered to all customers and almost all prospective buyers. I should add that following this pretty typical translation business work pattern is really much easier if you are not working on your own. Cheers, Sebastian Witte ▲ Collapse | |
|
|
neilmac Spain Local time: 10:40 Spanish to English + ...
I answered that I am flexible with my time, but I do tend to work roughly the same hours most days, i.e. a few in the morning and a few in the evening. However, if what the poll is getting at is whether I charge extra for weekends and holidays etc., then the answer would be not usually, no. Unless I get something which is a real slog or imposition, then normally I just charge my standard rate seven days a week. | | | Kay Denney France Local time: 10:40 French to English
Being flexible is the best thing about freelancing! I hated being chained to my desk as an employee. Monday mornings especially: it's such a slog to get up and back into the working routine after a fun weekend, and I invariably spent most of my time twiddling my thumbs. When the boss accused me (wrongly it turned out) of not being very productive, I told him that letting me work only when there was work to do would boost my productivity no end. But no, I had to be there at 9am on a Monday even i... See more Being flexible is the best thing about freelancing! I hated being chained to my desk as an employee. Monday mornings especially: it's such a slog to get up and back into the working routine after a fun weekend, and I invariably spent most of my time twiddling my thumbs. When the boss accused me (wrongly it turned out) of not being very productive, I told him that letting me work only when there was work to do would boost my productivity no end. But no, I had to be there at 9am on a Monday even if I had nothing to do. Most of France is in a meeting on Monday morning (including the PMs where I worked) so there was little chance of anything coming in before mid-afternoon, it was so frustrating! Nowadays, I don't bother to keep track of the number of words I translate, but I get the impression that I spend less time working yet earn far more, so it's all good! ▲ Collapse | | | Mario Freitas Brazil Local time: 05:40 Member (2014) English to Portuguese + ... Flexible, please! | Oct 12, 2019 |
One of the most important advantages of dropping in-house jobs for good is exactly NOT having strict working hours, as well as most other company-like discipline. Some people need it, some people think they are beneficial to you, some people say they are necessary... I say I'm free! | | | Flexible in the extreme | Oct 12, 2019 |
Every day is different. My schedule allows me to have a social life and serve on committees. I set myself a daily translation quota and I work at least until my quota is met, which sometimes can be late at night. | |
|
|
Freelance flexibility | Oct 21, 2019 |
The beauty of being a freelancer is to be able to plan your work around your life - instead of your life around your work. I have my morning routine and then get my work done when I'm most productive. This depends on my day and on my workload, some days I can get it done all in the morning and other days I'll take smaller breaks. | | | Oh, the freedom | Oct 21, 2019 |
Yesterday, Sunday, I was working. :/ This morning, Monday, while most madrileños were sitting in traffic, I was having leisurely breakfast, and then at the car wash ... with no line. Alone That's the nature of being self-employed. | | | Tony Keily Local time: 10:40 Italian to English + ... I have hours during which I will not translate | Oct 21, 2019 |
My general rule is that I don't translate between 19:00 and 07:00 weekdays and 16:00 and 08:00 weekends. I like my evenings to be free. | | | Pages in topic: [1 2] > | To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator: You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request » Poll: Are you working fixed hours, or are you flexible with your time? Anycount & Translation Office 3000 | Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.
More info » |
| Trados Business Manager Lite | Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio
Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.
More info » |
|
| | | | X Sign in to your ProZ.com account... | | | | | |