working from home on a contract basis Thread poster: Ana Kroll
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Hello,
I am considering to work from home on a 2 years contract basis and I would be happy to hear from translators working like that (from home, not office position; contract + freelance projects).
Thank you very much in advance for sharing your experiences.
with best wishes,
Ann
| | | | | Things I would consider | Jun 8, 2010 |
I have never worked that way (just freelance for 15 years). Personally, in a situation like this I see several factors to consider:
- How much workload will you be expected to do every day (can you be reasonable expected to do that amount on a sustainable basis?)
- How much would you be paid if you did that work in the free market (if you divided your daily pay by the number of words, would it still be a reasonable rate?)
- What will happen with work above ... See more I have never worked that way (just freelance for 15 years). Personally, in a situation like this I see several factors to consider:
- How much workload will you be expected to do every day (can you be reasonable expected to do that amount on a sustainable basis?)
- How much would you be paid if you did that work in the free market (if you divided your daily pay by the number of words, would it still be a reasonable rate?)
- What will happen with work above the agreed daily amount (how are you going to be paid extra? by the word? by the hour?...)
These are questions you need to get answer for, I reckon. Once you know the answers, you will know whether this scheme is for you or not. And of course, my general recommendation is to negotiate until a reasonable and healthy arrangement is achieved. Just do not go with what the company offers to you: negotiate back to maximize your income and health.
Edited to add another consideration:
- Will the daily volume of your contract allow you to keep your existing customers as a freelance (if you will not be able to care for your current freelance customers, how much money are you losing? will you be able to regain your freelance customers 2 years later, in a very competitive market, or will this contract push you out of the marked?)
[Edited at 2010-06-08 15:19 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Sheila Wilson 
Spain
Local time: 00:27
Member (2007)
English
+ ...
| Clarification, please | Jun 8, 2010 |
I'd just like to be sure of what your current status is - are you currently a freelancer or are you in a salaried job?
Is this contract going to be an employment contract or a service contract? Will it cover things like holidays, sickness etc (as an employment contract would)?
| | | | Rebekka Groß (X)
Local time: 00:27
English to German
| check out how your tax authorities define self-employment | Jun 8, 2010 |
In Germany, for example, this whole contracting business does not exist - correct me if I'm wrong - while in the UK it's fairly standard, particularly for IT professionals who are self-employed but usually work in one company for defined period of time, which might get extended. Most of them find work by registering wth agencies who have contacts with potential clients.
AFAIK, in Germany you would not be considered truly self-employed by the tax authorities if you only have on clien... See more In Germany, for example, this whole contracting business does not exist - correct me if I'm wrong - while in the UK it's fairly standard, particularly for IT professionals who are self-employed but usually work in one company for defined period of time, which might get extended. Most of them find work by registering wth agencies who have contacts with potential clients.
AFAIK, in Germany you would not be considered truly self-employed by the tax authorities if you only have on client. I don't know how many clients you have to have to be considered self-employed, though.
Anyway, I think you need to look up the website of the Polish tax authorities, potentially talk to someone there or to an accountant to make sure this is possible.
On second thought, would this contract be for full-time work? If so it might be better if you had an employment contract even though you work from home. It would also ensure you're covered for national insurance, health insurance, holiday pay, pension contributions etc. Then again, that's probably not in the interest of the potential "employer" as it's cheaper for them if the contractor takes care of all the expenses associated with the job.
If this contract only takes up a fraction of your time and you're free to pursue other freelance work, that's a different matter again.
Hope this is not too garbled :S
[Edited at 2010-06-08 18:04 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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ATIL KAYHAN
Türkiye
Local time: 02:27
Member (2007)
Turkish to English
+ ...
I would check out the website www.guru.com for freelancers. I have had a few jobs through Guru.
| | | | Nicole Schnell
United States
Local time: 16:27
English to German
+ ...
In memoriam
Is the outsourcer located in your own country?
A two year-contract would make me wince. Make sure that the rates are adjustable, otherwise you might end up working for outdated rates that are two years old.
It might be even worse if the outsourcer is located in a foreign country and you would have to deal with currency fluctuation.
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