| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: Do you charge extra for translating on weekends? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Angola
Local time: 09:26
English to French
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Any day is a day. My customers do not resent me taking a "long week-end" from Monday through Thursday either!
BTW, I suppose you mean the Christian week-end (Saturday and Sunday)? What if my customer belongs to a different religion (or if I do)? Other places other ways!
[Modifié le 2009-08-25 10:00 GMT]
| | | | | Of course not! | Aug 25, 2009 |
The best part about being a freelancer is having the freedom to set your own schedule and make your own rules, meaning to be able to work wherever and whenever one needs to..
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I don't when I decide by myself to work on weekend, so this depends from my own organisation. But I do if customers send a translation job Friday evening and they want it Monday early morning
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 09:26
Spanish to English
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As a freelancer, one of my selling points is the fact that I provide a 24/7 service.
Nine-to-five, weekday jobs are for the rest.
I may however charge extra for absurdly demanding deadlines or ill-thought-out formats (PDFs etc)...
| | | | vixen 
Greece
Local time: 10:26
English to Dutch
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I don't normally work weekends and do not accept any weekend jobs, which is why I answered Other. Fortunately, I have never been asked to do any weekend rush job by any of my existing clients.
If I do work weekends, it's either because of bad or deliberate planning on my end, not because of a request from a client.
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if they offer, well that's something else.
I usually try to avoid working on weekends if possible. But if I do work weekends, it's another work day so there's no reason to charge extra. I can always take a day off during the week.
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No: if I'm working over a weekend by choice, for instance if a 5,000 word job comes in on a Wednesday for the following Monday morning, and I take it knowing full well I won't be able to start until the weekend because of my prior commitments. I can always take other days off to compensate when I want to.
Yes: if I'm contacted on a Friday evening and the job is genuinely urgent, for instance because of an application to arrest a vessel in port before it leaves. In that case, everyon... See more No: if I'm working over a weekend by choice, for instance if a 5,000 word job comes in on a Wednesday for the following Monday morning, and I take it knowing full well I won't be able to start until the weekend because of my prior commitments. I can always take other days off to compensate when I want to.
Yes: if I'm contacted on a Friday evening and the job is genuinely urgent, for instance because of an application to arrest a vessel in port before it leaves. In that case, everyone (the lawyer for the applicant, the bailiff, the translator, etc) is springing into action at short notice and we're all charging extra for doing so.
[Edited at 2009-08-25 13:41 GMT] ▲ Collapse
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| Of course I do! | Aug 25, 2009 |
It's a general practice, and most translation agencies around the world charge extra when they are asked for a weekend job.
I obviously mean work sent on Friday to be delivered on Monday (however, I try not to work on weekends).
| | | | Sarah Silva
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:26
Member (2008)
German to English
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| Weekend work should be chargeable | Aug 25, 2009 |
I answered 'other' because I've only once accepted a legitimate rush job that needed to be done over the weekend and the customer offered a rate accordingly.
Since then I haven't taken on any weekend work but have worked an afternoon or morning at weekends when I've wanted to get ahead on a project or need to make up time for early finishes on Fridays!
I do think that weekend work should be chargeable though, in-house translators would surely be paid overtime for such ... See more I answered 'other' because I've only once accepted a legitimate rush job that needed to be done over the weekend and the customer offered a rate accordingly.
Since then I haven't taken on any weekend work but have worked an afternoon or morning at weekends when I've wanted to get ahead on a project or need to make up time for early finishes on Fridays!
I do think that weekend work should be chargeable though, in-house translators would surely be paid overtime for such work and weekends are valued rest days where home life is a priority. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Parrot
Spain
Local time: 09:26
Spanish to English
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A lot of my clients are M-F agencies that understand a weekend is normally free time, for the family. Hence, they factor this into their estimates when negotiating deadlines.
I quote my output at 3,000 words per day. That means 15,000 in a week and a surcharge on overtime (weekends included). If, given these terms, for any reason whatsoever, I happen to deliver earlier, that's my own call.
| | | | Henry Hinds
United States
Local time: 01:26
English to Spanish
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In memoriam | Work Anytime | Aug 25, 2009 |
As NielMac says, Nine-to-five, weekday jobs are for the rest (the "herd").
I love getting a good translation job to do over the weekend: less interruptions, more concentration.
So if you see me goofing off during the week, that's my privilege because my work is already done.
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Rebecca Garber
Local time: 03:26
Member (2005)
German to English
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Like many others, if I choose to work on the weekend because of my schedule, then I don't charge extra.
However, I do charge if the job comes in Friday afternoon (and they've arrived after 4:30pm) for Monday am.
I may do chores etc during the week, but my daughter is in school M-F, and the weekend is time for me to spend with her. Not with my computer.
| | | | m_temmer
Local time: 01:26
English to Dutch
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| no if by choice, yes if asked by client | Aug 25, 2009 |
Like many of you, I only charge extra whenever the customer really asks me to work during the weekend. If it's my own choise to work during the weekend (because I took on too much work), I don't.
It's amazing though how afraid translators are to ask a fair price for their work. Apparently, quite a lot of translators don't charge extra to work during the weekend, which is definitely not good for the translation business on the long term. Ever tried to get a plumber help you out on a ... See more Like many of you, I only charge extra whenever the customer really asks me to work during the weekend. If it's my own choise to work during the weekend (because I took on too much work), I don't.
It's amazing though how afraid translators are to ask a fair price for their work. Apparently, quite a lot of translators don't charge extra to work during the weekend, which is definitely not good for the translation business on the long term. Ever tried to get a plumber help you out on a Sunday? Or made an appointment with your lawyer on Sunday morning 9am? At least here in Belgium, you would be charge at least twice the normal rate, if they want to help you at all! So I really do not see why a freelance translator wouldn't charge extra for weekend work. Besides, agencies aren't so afraid of charging their end customers all the extras they can get. Why would a freelance translator (if working through them) leave that extra profit for the agency, while it's the translator who does all the work?
For some reason, translators don't feel their work is actually worth money, it seems. Pretty sad, if you ask me.
[Edited at 2009-08-25 16:30 GMT] ▲ Collapse
| | | | Cristina Munari
Italy
Local time: 09:26
Member (2008)
English to Italian
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| Sometimes I do | Aug 25, 2009 |
Sibylle Gassmann wrote:
I don't when I decide by myself to work on weekend, so this depends from my own organisation. But I do if customers send a translation job Friday evening and they want it Monday early morning
I agree with Sibylle, weekends are calmer days so sometimes I decide to work on weekends,
but customers are usually willing to offer an extra for a rush job sent on Friday to be delivered on Monday morning.
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