Pages in topic:   [1 2] >
Poll: Are you working fixed hours, or are you flexible with your time?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Oct 11, 2019

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 »



tomo318890gm
zamdamdende9
abdur wakeel
Xuan Zhao
Latsany1
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 21:34
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Flexible Oct 11, 2019

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.

Lacerlo Bila
R. Alex Jenkins
neilmac
tomo318890gm
Gibril Koroma
Muriel Vasconcellos
zamdamdende9
 
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Yetta Jensen Bogarde  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 22:34
Member (2012)
English to Danish
+ ...
Flexibility Oct 11, 2019

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.


R. Alex Jenkins
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
neilmac
tomo318890gm
Philippe Etienne
Liena Vijupe
Gibril Koroma
 
Marjolein Snippe
Marjolein Snippe  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 22:34
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.

José Liceia
Philippe Etienne
Christopher Schröder
Ian Mansbridge
zamdamdende9
Mar Brito
Melanie Meyer
 
R. Alex Jenkins
R. Alex Jenkins  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:34
Member (2006)
Portuguese to English
+ ...
Flexible Oct 11, 2019

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]


Alaa Mahm
Gibril Koroma
zamdamdende9
Liviu-Lee Roth
Spyros Salimpas
Sabine Braun
 
Nina Khmielnitzky
Nina Khmielnitzky  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 17:34
Member (2004)
English to French
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


zamdamdende9
abdur wakeel
 
Sebastian Witte
Sebastian Witte  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 22:34
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


shailendra kumar
 
A. & S. Witte
A. & S. Witte
Germany
Local time: 22:34
German to English
+ ...
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


zamdamdende9
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 22:34
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Oct 11, 2019

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.


zamdamdende9
Philip Lees
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 22:34
French to English
. Oct 11, 2019

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


Iwona Budzynska MCIL
Liena Vijupe
Gibril Koroma
Muriel Vasconcellos
zamdamdende9
Eckhard Boehle
 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 18:34
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!

Muriel Vasconcellos
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Liena Vijupe
zamdamdende9
Spyros Salimpas
Sabine Braun
SULEIMAN DUBOW (X)
 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 14:34
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
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.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
zamdamdende9
SULEIMAN DUBOW (X)
Mario Freitas
Sumaiya Nishat
abdur wakeel
 
Martina Torngren
Martina Torngren
Spain
Local time: 22:34
English to Swedish
+ ...
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.

 
Justin Peterson
Justin Peterson  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 22:34
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
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.


IrinaN
 
Tony Keily
Tony Keily
Local time: 22:34
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:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Jared Tabor[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Poll: Are you working fixed hours, or are you flexible with your time?






TM-Town
Manage your TMs and Terms ... and boost your translation business

Are you ready for something fresh in the industry? TM-Town is a unique new site for you -- the freelance translator -- to store, manage and share translation memories (TMs) and glossaries...and potentially meet new clients on the basis of your prior work.

More info »
Protemos translation business management system
Create your account in minutes, and start working! 3-month trial for agencies, and free for freelancers!

The system lets you keep client/vendor database, with contacts and rates, manage projects and assign jobs to vendors, issue invoices, track payments, store and manage project files, generate business reports on turnover profit per client/manager etc.

More info »