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Poll: Do you charge extra for work which takes place during holidays?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Dec 25, 2022

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Do you charge extra for work which takes place during holidays?".

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Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:59
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
No Dec 25, 2022

If by holidays is meant Christmas and Year End I’ll have pretty much the same holidays my clients do and usually December is a very quiet month for me workwise. I’ll be delivering a project on the 27th and my regulars know that I'll be available for them. So, we will see if my break will be longer than usual or not…

Philip Lees
 
IrinaN
IrinaN
United States
Local time: 06:59
English to Russian
+ ...
1001st version of the same question Dec 25, 2022

Why not to answer for the 1001st time?

No, because in my freelancer's book official holidays and weekends are not marked with any color. In return, I don't have to explain to anyone why I am drinking on the Caribbean beach in the middle of business hours and no official holidays on the horizon. I can decline holiday offers because of my personal plans or a dozen of other reasons but not because it's some special days or "after hours". When I was more dependent on the translation wor... See more
Why not to answer for the 1001st time?

No, because in my freelancer's book official holidays and weekends are not marked with any color. In return, I don't have to explain to anyone why I am drinking on the Caribbean beach in the middle of business hours and no official holidays on the horizon. I can decline holiday offers because of my personal plans or a dozen of other reasons but not because it's some special days or "after hours". When I was more dependent on the translation workload than now, I made good money with my regular rates, working when work was available and holidays worshipers were not for various reasons, including surcharge demands, and always had enough left to unwind later at my convenience. BTW, I hate holiday crowds and gladly hide until the coast clears.

Freelancing as I see it is a 24/7/365 deal with a 24/7/365 right to decline anything and everything, depending on your place in the food chain, of course. That's the beauty of it. Surcharges paid to me a few times have always been the initiative of the client, when I didn't feel like working at all or was already overwhelmed and the surcharge was well-deserved for working extra 6 hours on top of 8 for previous assignment on the same day, so they had to push to change my mind after I'd explain my schedule:-). But even in those instances it worked for good old clients only, when they ruled by guilt rather than a few cents. It was my consciousness, not my pocket that was giving in. I didn't practice killing myself routinely. ▲ Collapse
 
Patricia Prevost
Patricia Prevost  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 13:59
English to Spanish
+ ...
No Dec 26, 2022

If I have decided I will be available for work during holidays there is no extra charge. This week, for example, several of my colleagues are away for the festive season but I am at home. So, it's normal work hours for me.

Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Dan Lucas
IrinaN
 
Kay Denney
Kay Denney  Identity Verified
France
Local time: 13:59
French to English
. Dec 26, 2022

If a direct client asks me to work at a time I wouldn't normally, I'll say yes and charge enough to make it worth my while.
But they are mostly on holiday themselves, thank goodness.
 


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Poll: Do you charge extra for work which takes place during holidays?






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