| Pages in topic: [1 2] > | Poll: As a freelancer, do you keep fixed working hours? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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| | Mary Worby 
United Kingdom
Local time: 06:23
German to English
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Because I have to work around school hours.
| | | | | | David Wright
Austria
Local time: 07:23
German to English
+ ...
7 - 8, work, 8 to 8.30 walk the dog; 8.30 to 10 work; 10 to 10.15 cuppa tea; 10.15 to 11.30 work; 11.30to 12 .30 try to work but get distracted by internet; 12.30 to 1.00 lunch; 1.00 to 3.00 work/get distracted by internet, 3.00, end of working day.
I depart from this only in rare cases and never work beyond 4. I've long decided that there are many things that are far more important than earning money (and I very rarely get told by a client that my delivery time is too long - if the... See more 7 - 8, work, 8 to 8.30 walk the dog; 8.30 to 10 work; 10 to 10.15 cuppa tea; 10.15 to 11.30 work; 11.30to 12 .30 try to work but get distracted by internet; 12.30 to 1.00 lunch; 1.00 to 3.00 work/get distracted by internet, 3.00, end of working day.
I depart from this only in rare cases and never work beyond 4. I've long decided that there are many things that are far more important than earning money (and I very rarely get told by a client that my delivery time is too long - if they want me, they'll wait) ▲ Collapse
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neilmac
Spain
Local time: 07:23
Spanish to English
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Mainly because I don't have young children to get up and out to school, and I work from home, so don't need to get myself up and out to commute/work.
In the past I have had "normal" jobs, early rising, come rain or shine, and bosses, and lower income, so I don't really feel I'm missing out on anything here...
Right now I'm sitting in my pyjamas, having risen at 9am, listening to the coffee burbling merrily away and just about to put digit to keyboard on more pressing matters than th... See more Mainly because I don't have young children to get up and out to school, and I work from home, so don't need to get myself up and out to commute/work.
In the past I have had "normal" jobs, early rising, come rain or shine, and bosses, and lower income, so I don't really feel I'm missing out on anything here...
Right now I'm sitting in my pyjamas, having risen at 9am, listening to the coffee burbling merrily away and just about to put digit to keyboard on more pressing matters than this post .... ▲ Collapse
| | | | Steven Capsuto
United States
Local time: 01:23
Member (2004)
Spanish to English
+ ...
| Flexible schedule | Jan 21, 2011 |
My clients are spread over at least six time zones, so I maintain fairly flexible hours. It depends what work comes in, as well as what plans I have with friends or family.
[Edited at 2011-01-21 08:40 GMT]
| | | | Allison Wright (X)
Portugal
Local time: 06:23
| Discipline without fixed routine | Jan 21, 2011 |
I like order and discipline. I was born without the "routine gene", but I did get a huge dose of whatever makes one a workaholic!
I have my own rules, such as starting by a certain time everyday, with an alarm on my cellphone 30 minutes before that time. Invariably, I have already begun work by then, being a "mornings" person. A major personal achievement is that I now observe the "sanctity of the lunch hour", as many do in Portugal. This has had the beneficial effect of allowing... See more I like order and discipline. I was born without the "routine gene", but I did get a huge dose of whatever makes one a workaholic!
I have my own rules, such as starting by a certain time everyday, with an alarm on my cellphone 30 minutes before that time. Invariably, I have already begun work by then, being a "mornings" person. A major personal achievement is that I now observe the "sanctity of the lunch hour", as many do in Portugal. This has had the beneficial effect of allowing me to work much longer hours!
Despite not liking routine, I do still manage my time in terms of planning, and "to do" lists, and I set a time for each individual task to be completed. I like the flexibility of working freelance, and am careful to separate work from domestic chores and leisure activities. ▲ Collapse
| | | | keelin feeney
Ireland
Local time: 06:23
Member (2007)
Spanish to English
+ ...
My husband does shift work so I tend to work my schedule the same way. It works 90% of the time which is one of the main benefits of freelancing!
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Adnan Özdemir
Türkiye
Local time: 08:23
Member (2007)
German to Turkish
+ ...
neilmac wrote: Mainly because I don't have young children to get up and out to school, and I work from home, so don't need to get myself up and out to commute/work. In the past I have had "normal" jobs, early rising, come rain or shine, and bosses, and lower income, so I don't really feel I'm missing out on anything here... Right now I'm sitting in my pyjamas, having risen at 9am, listening to the coffee burbling merrily away and just about to put digit to keyboard on more pressing matters than this post ....
Wonderful life. So is more better for me too
Saludos
| | | | Michael Harris
Germany
Local time: 07:23
Member (2006)
German to English
| no, but trying | Jan 21, 2011 |
I have let myself go too long over the past years and am now trying to regulate everything with a bit more routine as 18 hours a day every day is not good for me in the long run. I have started to turn down a lot more work so that I have more time for me and my family. So, I am trying to keep fixed hours but when the big bang comes, I will also do longer hours for a short while, but in the long term I want to discipline myself to a normal 10 hour working day.
| | | | | All over the map | Jan 21, 2011 |
I worked in offices more than 30 years, so now I reward myself with the joy of being able to work when I feel like it. For me, that's the whole point of freelancing.
I have to say, I get the most accomplished after the people around me have gone to bed. The phone doesn't ring, and the only e-mails I get are from clients and colleagues in other parts of the world.
| | | | Eser Perkins
Türkiye
Local time: 08:23
English to Turkish
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SITE LOCALIZER | Unfortunately not! | Jan 21, 2011 |
Otherwise why would I try to make a living as a "freelance" translator? And when one has 2 young kids to look after, it is almost impossible to set a time frame on work hours. I just have to work around their moods and needs (school, meals, temper tantrums, illnesses, fights over toys, etc). So some days I can work during the day if one is at school and the other is sleeping, and other days I may have to work when they both go to bed at night. I can't really set my hours into stone.
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| Business hours and more | Jan 21, 2011 |
David Wright wrote:
7 - 8, work, 8 to 8.30 walk the dog; 8.30 to 10 work; 10 to 10.15 cuppa tea; 10.15 to 11.30 work; 11.30to 12 .30 try to work but get distracted by internet; 12.30 to 1.00 lunch; 1.00 to 3.00 work/get distracted by internet, 3.00, end of working day.
Similar with me but my working hours sometimes end at 4.00 pm so I can take care of the horse and then start again at around 7.00 pm with open end - depending on work load
However, I love my job exactly as it is!
| | | | Britt Laux
Local time: 07:23
German to Norwegian
+ ...
but mainly because I have to work when my children are at schoool.
| | | | Theo Bernards (X)
France
Local time: 07:23
English to Dutch
+ ...
| No, and I wouldn't want to anyway | Jan 21, 2011 |
If I want arbitrary circumstances to routinely determine when I do my thing, I look for employment. Been there, done that, not my T-shirt. A large positive factor of being a freelance translator is that I can, for example, make time to go for a bite of lunch with my wife, go to the bank during normal hours instead of rushing to meet my bank manager before the branch closes, or tend to our veggie patch whenever it is needed and work around these activities.
When a deadline is set I w... See more If I want arbitrary circumstances to routinely determine when I do my thing, I look for employment. Been there, done that, not my T-shirt. A large positive factor of being a freelance translator is that I can, for example, make time to go for a bite of lunch with my wife, go to the bank during normal hours instead of rushing to meet my bank manager before the branch closes, or tend to our veggie patch whenever it is needed and work around these activities.
When a deadline is set I will always honor it or politely decline the assignment. My clients are aware of this and have no problem with it, and prospective clients who demand too much will learn quickly that it doesn't work that way ("put me on your payroll and award me such trivial things as pension, health care, holiday pay and that sort of benefits, then we can talk about being tied to my desk for a number of hours daily - be prepared to offer a top salary!").
Besides, the 24/7 economy we live in nowadays makes the 9 to 5 routine fairly difficult to adhere to: I have clients in numerous time zones and if they all expect me to be at my desk during their office hours, I might as well take to intravenous feeding and explore the spectacular developments in cybernetics to grow a universal interface with the internet . I somehow suspect that there would be a lot more money in that than in translating... ▲ Collapse
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