ProZ.com Translation Forums

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | 1-2 weeks

Sonja Allen — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:42:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Sonja Allen
Post title: 1-2 weeks

not considering holidays or time off. This happened to me last August and again after Christmas including the first week of January. I was available but simply nothing came in. I just put it down to everyone else being on holiday.

But I also have the occasional week when there are only small jobs coming in leaving me with lot of free time in between, and then there are, of course, the occasional cases when 3 agencies ring you at once on a Monday or Tuesday but, given the unflexible deadlines in most cases, you can only please one of them, so you do the one job and are then empty-handed for the rest of the week.

Sometimes this irregularity just drives me crazy.

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | Depends on what type of work...

kjmcguire — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:12:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: kjmcguire
Post title: Depends on what type of work...

Are we talking about translation work, or work in general?

I haven't done any translation work for over a year now (due to financial reasons) but I've in full-time employment during that time.

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | Never

Sonia Hill — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:58:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Sonia Hill
Post title: Never

[quote]Marie-Hélène Hayles wrote:

I took the question to mean "available for work but with no assigned (paid) work to do" (in contrast with unpaid administration, marketing etc.), in which case the answer for me is actually "no time at all". I thought it was pretty clear, but as various people have interpreted it in different ways, it obviously isn't!

Of course I've taken holidays in the last 12 months, although as far as I can remember I've always had work scheduled for my return in any case. But even if I hadn't, "not available for work" is not the same thing as "without work", and I've never spent any time twiddling my thumbs with no paid work to get on with in the last year.

[ [/quote]

This is exactly how I interpreted it too. I have taken time over over the last 12 months to have a baby and go on holiday, and I'm currently working part-time. However, when I am available for work I am never without work and am usually booked up well in advance. I generally have to turn work down.

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | Clients "antennae"

Noni Gilbert Riley — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:27:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Noni Gilbert Riley
Post title: Clients "antennae"

Why is it that just as I'm coming to the end of a lengthy/difficult project and planning to take a bit of a breather/get on with other administrative tasks etc, a new piece of work almost invariably arrives? Can my clients sense that I am beginning to relax?!

Of course, I'm not complaining...

BTW, I clearly understand this as does Marie-Hélène, "available for work but with no assigned (paid) work to do" as opposed to "without working", which is what we try to do when on holiday!

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | Same here

Deborah do Carmo (X) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:51:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Deborah do Carmo (X)
Post title: Same here

[quote]Marie-Hélène Hayles wrote:

I've never spent any time twiddling my thumbs with no paid work to get on with in the last year. [/quote]

I'm fortunately always booked in advance, touch wood.

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | 2 weeks

Xanthippe — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:41:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Xanthippe
Post title: 2 weeks

I understand the question as "the longest time wihout any translation to do" :

in this sense, for me .... 2 weeks. But during this time I do some marketing, I do administratif work, so I work all the time......

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | < 1 hour

Marie-Hélène Hayles — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:03:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Marie-Hélène Hayles
Post title: < 1 hour

I took the question to mean "available for work but with no assigned (paid) work to do" (in contrast with unpaid administration, marketing etc.), in which case the answer for me is actually "no time at all". I thought it was pretty clear, but as various people have interpreted it in different ways, it obviously isn't!

Of course I've taken holidays in the last 12 months, although as far as I can remember I've always had work scheduled for my return in any case. But even if I hadn't, "not available for work" is not the same thing as "without work", and I've never spent any time twiddling my thumbs with no paid work to get on with in the last year.

[Edited at 2008-07-18 07:06]

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | "Without work"

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:51:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: "Without work"

As comments from colleagues start to roll in, it is clear to me that "without work" is unclear:
- Some understand "without working"
- Some understand "with no assignments coming from customers"

Which one of the two was really meant here?

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | 3 weeks vacation

lisevs — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:32:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: lisevs
Post title: 3 weeks vacation

If you include vacation, then it's 3 weeks - and it was absolutely amazing :)

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | Confusing question

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:08:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: Confusing question

[quote]Laureana Pavon wrote:
[quote]Tomás Cano Binder wrote:
How much work is "without work"?
Do you mean NO work at all, or just little work, less work than usual? [/quote]
I don't thing there's anything ambiguous or open to interpretation in the phrase "without work".
[/quote]

I can't tell what's confusing, but there's something strange to this question. Maybe a native speaker of English can tell us. That's why I am asking.

And I think that a translator always has work to do: filing, invoicing, classifying reference material, recording new terms in glossaries... Does this "work" mean "translation assignments from customers"?

[Edited at 2008-07-18 04:09]

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | 3-4 weeks - on holiday

Heike Kurtz — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:30:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Heike Kurtz
Post title: 3-4 weeks - on holiday

Usually, I work every day, albeit not always for payment. There's always filing, bookkeeping or marketing to do...

But once a year, we go on holiday, and I try not to work then (although I sometimes take my laptop computer and cell phone for a regular assignment during that period).

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | 2-3 hours

savaria (X) — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: savaria (X)
Post title: 2-3 hours

I have been having plenty of work for the last 2 month,and if not,then you can easily find a lot of work to do for yourself on proz.com

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | Nothing confusing about the term "without"

Laureana Pavon — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:50:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Laureana Pavon
Post title: Nothing confusing about the term "without"

[quote]Tomás Cano Binder wrote:
How much work is "without work"?
Do you mean NO work at all, or just little work, less work than usual? [/quote]

I don't thing there's anything ambiguous or open to interpretation in the phrase "without work".

Also, I want to take the opportunity to thank all those who submit these polls; voting and reading my colleagues' comments usually provides a nice, welcome moment of fun within my working day.

Cheers!!

[Edited at 2008-07-17 17:50]

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was: | How much work is "without work"?

Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:38:00 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: Tomás Cano Binder, BA, CT
Post title: How much work is "without work"?

Do you mean NO work at all, or just little work, less work than usual?

Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:

ProZ.com Staff — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:25:27 +0000

Forum: Poll Discussion
Topic: Poll: The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:
Poster: ProZ.com Staff

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "The longest time I've spent without work in the last 12 months was:".

This poll was originally submitted by Alvaro Morales

View the poll here

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