| Stran v tématu: [1 2] > | Poll: If a client sends you a new project during a weekend to complete by Monday, you feel... Autor vlákna: ProZ.com Staff
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This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "If a client sends you a new project during a weekend to complete by Monday, you feel...".
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| | | | Muriel Vasconcellos 
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 11:30
Člen (2003)
španělština -> angličtina
+ ...
This has happened to me a few times. Accepting work whenever it comes in is part of the nature of the profession. A job due the next day or two is not going to be a big bonanza.
| | | | Philip Lees
Řecko
Local time: 21:30
řečtina -> angličtina
This would only ever happen by prior agreement. I don't attach any particular significance to weekends - I work when I have work to do - but clients should not take that for granted.
In fact, I prefer to work weekends, so I can take time off during the week and do other stuff, as I am about to do today. I will spend the morning sorting out some bureaucratic business necessitated by Brexcrement*.
So I am one of the "Others" on this question.
(*Collective nou... See more This would only ever happen by prior agreement. I don't attach any particular significance to weekends - I work when I have work to do - but clients should not take that for granted.
In fact, I prefer to work weekends, so I can take time off during the week and do other stuff, as I am about to do today. I will spend the morning sorting out some bureaucratic business necessitated by Brexcrement*.
So I am one of the "Others" on this question.
(*Collective noun for the consequences of the UK's departure from the European Union.) ▲ Collapse
| | | | Anaïs Duval
Francie
Local time: 20:30
angličtina -> francouzština
| It depends on your agreement | Jun 29, 2021 |
If you agreed on working on weekends, I don't see why you should feel annoyed by such demand.
On the other hand if you specified to your client you don't work on weekends, just decline and eventually propose them to ask a colleague if they're available.
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Ana Vozone
Local time: 19:30
Člen (2010)
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
Weekend projects have happened all the time in my career. I tend not to accept them nowadays. I am now also taking days off during the week and working longer hours on the other days if necessary. I still think being my own boss and being able to freely manage my time is a huge privilege ...
| | | | Marjolein Snippe
Nizozemsko
Local time: 20:30
Člen (2012)
angličtina -> nizozemština
+ ...
| A bit annoyed | Jun 29, 2021 |
I feel a bit annoyed and I really shouldn't - I just don't like the idea that clients think I should always be available, but of course clients have the right to ask just as I have the right to refuse. I never accept weekend jobs and most of my clients are aware (most of them don't work in the weekend either).
| | | | neilmac
Španělsko
Local time: 20:30
španělština -> angličtina
+ ...
Back in the day, before I had enough work to make a living, I claimed to offer a 24/7 service. Virtually all my clients are direct now, rather than agencies, so on the rare occasions when clients send me something at the weekend to be completed by Monday, I don't mind taking it up, as long as it is humanly possible. And I don't usually charge anything extra either.
| | | | Alison Jenner
Švýcarsko
Local time: 20:30
němčina -> angličtina
+ ...
| Only with prior agreement | Jun 29, 2021 |
Weekend projects do happen, but I only accept them by prior agreement. I don't generally work at weekends as I have other things than work going on in my life, including family and completing another degree. If a client sends me a project unannounced at the weekend, I'm extremely unlikely to accept it. I might be slightly annoyed by the assumption that I'm always available, but it's not exactly going to ruin my weekend.
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| It has never happened to me | Jun 29, 2021 |
It never happened to me (even rush projects that arrive on a Friday have been a rarity in my career, maybe because I prefer longish projects), but if it did, it would depend very much on the client, as I’d have great difficulty saying no to my long-standing customer. To a new client, the answer would be a definite ‘no, thank you’. Usually, new jobs come early or mid-week, but there’s no rule and I have no qualms about working weekends when the need arises. I love the sense of freedom I ... See more It never happened to me (even rush projects that arrive on a Friday have been a rarity in my career, maybe because I prefer longish projects), but if it did, it would depend very much on the client, as I’d have great difficulty saying no to my long-standing customer. To a new client, the answer would be a definite ‘no, thank you’. Usually, new jobs come early or mid-week, but there’s no rule and I have no qualms about working weekends when the need arises. I love the sense of freedom I get by taking days off during the week when everybody else is working (childish, isn’t it?)… ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Blissful ignorance | Jun 29, 2021 |
I wouldn’t know if they did because I’ll be somewhere else having fun.
I also take time off during the week.
What’s the point of being your own boss and not taking liberties?
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It happens frequently, maybe not every weekend.
I don't make any difference between the days of the week anyway, working over the weekend often helps me catch up on any backlog.
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My agency client base knows I don't work weekends, and if I have to, it is 50% more expensive. I value my weekends, and a surcharge is an effective deterrent to repel people from asking me to work weekends (or at night).
It still happens once in a blue moon though, but then I know it's really urgent (conferences, exhibitions, embargoed news...), not the kind of "urgent" weekend jobs that you see coming back after 2 weeks for validation or whatever.
Fifteen years ago, I ... See more My agency client base knows I don't work weekends, and if I have to, it is 50% more expensive. I value my weekends, and a surcharge is an effective deterrent to repel people from asking me to work weekends (or at night).
It still happens once in a blue moon though, but then I know it's really urgent (conferences, exhibitions, embargoed news...), not the kind of "urgent" weekend jobs that you see coming back after 2 weeks for validation or whatever.
Fifteen years ago, I was involved in quick quasi-near real-time translations of racing reports/press releases/results every other weekend during two seasons. Never was the 50% surcharge questioned. Actually, I didn't charge the TOD (translation-on-demand) aspect on top of the WE premium, so it was a good deal for them.
Philippe ▲ Collapse
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| It happens quite a lot | Jun 29, 2021 |
I set up shop in 1994. Since then, I cannot count the number of times when clients have done this.
When the major part of my work was in the field of competitive sport, it is obvious that press releases and other documents will need to be done during the weekend. That availability is par for the course. Even then, as a lot of this work will come through specialised press and communication agencies, many get into the habit of sending work through expecting it to be done within the n... See more I set up shop in 1994. Since then, I cannot count the number of times when clients have done this.
When the major part of my work was in the field of competitive sport, it is obvious that press releases and other documents will need to be done during the weekend. That availability is par for the course. Even then, as a lot of this work will come through specialised press and communication agencies, many get into the habit of sending work through expecting it to be done within the next hour or two without even checking whether you are available or not. That becomes awkward but once the client understands that it's best to at least text you beforehand, they usually understand fairly quickly.
Clients who mess everyone around, by throwing a job at you after 16h00 on a Friday night just before they leave for the weekend, without bothering to see whether you are available or not, run the risk of their work not being done. It's the end-of-the-line thing.
I have no problem with the occasional surprise job, but in my experience they tend to come from people who are badly organised and are also those who you have to chase for payment. I began to drop those clients and over time replaced them with better one. It took time as I realised that as long as I would accept their poor organisation, they would continue. One or two got their act together and I still work with them to this day. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazílie
Local time: 15:30
Člen (2014)
angličtina -> portugalština
+ ...
Our weekend is when we don't have work to do. It could be Monday, Wednesday, or by coincidence, on Saturday or Sunday.
One day I'll hopefully reach the stage where I can say "I don't work on the weekends" (the real ones). But I'm not there, yet.
[Edited at 2021-06-29 14:28 GMT]
| | | | Kevin Fulton
Spojené státy americké
Local time: 14:30
němčina -> angličtina
Let me preface this by stating that I often work weekends. In fact, I worked this past weekend – on a project that started early last week.
There was once a local project manager who would regularly call on a Friday afternoon offering a project due Monday morning. Since this was a high-volume customer, I usually took the job. Finally I got fed up with rearranging my plans to accommodate him, and I turned him down. He offered to pay a rush rate and I still refused. Thinking he had the ad... See more Let me preface this by stating that I often work weekends. In fact, I worked this past weekend – on a project that started early last week.
There was once a local project manager who would regularly call on a Friday afternoon offering a project due Monday morning. Since this was a high-volume customer, I usually took the job. Finally I got fed up with rearranging my plans to accommodate him, and I turned him down. He offered to pay a rush rate and I still refused. Thinking he had the advantage, he threatened that if I didn't take the job, I'd never work for his agency again. I took a deep breath and replied that I could live with that, despite the fact that as my largest customer he was providing about 25% of my income. I didn't hear from that agency for several weeks, and finally a different PM contacted me with work with a normal deadline.
Several years ago there was some discussion on one of the ATA-related discussion boards whether translators should even pick up the telephone on Friday, and let the answering machine take all calls, thus avoiding any unpleasant discussions about weekend work.
Fortunately most of my current clientele manage their time efficiently so there are few surprise jobs. ▲ Collapse
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