Contractor asking for daily rate for only 7 hrs work a day ?

[helew]

Hi

I?ve recently hired a gardener they are charging me a daily rate

I?ve paid for ten days - however they are claiming that 7 hours worked is equivalent of 1 day ?

Is this fair or am I being ripped off ? I would have expected 8 hours being a days work minimum

Any advice welcome

H

[uncleglen]

I think 35 hours is an average working week of 5 days - (in France 35 hours is the legal working week). If you work 8 hours a day and have 1 hour off at lunchtime unpaid then that would be the 35 hours

[Michael Palaeologus]

Yes. 7 hours work per day seems reasonable if they aren't charging you for breaks. So 1 hour for lunch and 15 minutes mid am and pm would make an 8.5 hour day for them, of which they are charging you for they 7 they are working.

Check when they propose to start and finish.

[Jules-and-Boo]

It is normal in our organization for NPL to be contracted for 8 hours a day.

Why don't you agree to pay for the set piece of work instead? You'll need to lay out the specifics.

[fishbiscuits]

You try doing 7 hours of physical work a day, and then tell me it's not a full day's work!

But, like the last poster said, I would expect to pay a fixed price for a job, not a daily rate.

[JohnL]

Dolly Parton says 9 to 5 (with an hour for lunch)

[edcam]

Who works 8 hours a day without a break? Get a grip.

[helew]

Thanks for all the advice - good to get a perspective

I thought I'd agreed a fixed rate for the job

But it wasn't made crystal clear and now the day rate has snuck in

Lesson is to set it in stone and be absolutely firm about not accepting a day rate

Oh well

H

Ps to the ' get a grip grump '...I never said I expected an 8 hr day without a break

[malumbu]

I've had some painters in. They started off with a cup of tea at 8 and gone by 4. Wasn't around with my stop watch to check their hours, or their work rate, but judged it on the cost and the finished produce.

They made a film about it once Look the fantastic line up - just imagine Dickie Attenborough and the like doing your garden http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052911/

[helew]

Believe me, I'm so on the side of the workers

I've had unscrupulous employers, push me to work

12 hour days... I also know when someone is dragging their heels

Neither is the case with the people working on our garden

I just wanted some advice to see if 7 hrs was reasonable

Having never charged for a 7 hour day myself - I'm a freelancer

Our charge is a ten hour day, but I don't expect that of someone working in the cold outside

However the gardeners working for me are starting around 10-10.30 and finishing around 4

It just seemed to me to be a short day

[malumbu]

Ahh that was a later film - Carry on up the workers http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066895/fullcredits

I've had contacts who thought that there should be no controls over workers conditions whatsoever, whether it be hours or risks, and that rates would be paid accordingly.

Now whilst I am not a friend of the black cabbies, they do tend to live in 'nicer' outer boroughs, and work better hours, compared to the long hour low hourly rates of Uber. I work in transport - trust me.

Some consultants wouldn't get our of bed for an hours work, the equivalent of what some manual workers get paid in a day, Others would of course argue retrain and follow the money.

Anyway not sure why you need to work a 12 hour day, I think we fought two world wars over this sort of thing!

Interesting that 100 years when the Black Country ball bearing workers went on strike due to the dreadful conditions there was mass public support including the media. All a bit different now.....

[edcam]

Well then why are you questioning the working 7 hours a day? Perhaps you meant 7 hours including a break? In which case that would be pushing it a bit but gardening is hard graft and if the results are good.....

> Ps to the ' get a grip grump '...I never said I

> expected an 8 hr day without a break

[tomskip]

10.00/10.30 to 4.00/4.30 is not 7 hours anyway, with or without a break.

[KidKruger]

"Who works 8 hours a day without a break? Get a grip."

Lol.

[miga]

Who does work 8 hours a day? I thought that dream fluttered off towards the end of last century along with decent healthcare and housing affordability?