What Would you do?

LegacyUser · 05-01-2009 9:30pm #1

Hi,

This is a bit of a strange one but heres my problem.

I am a self employed contractor working on a project which is due in Mid Feb.

However yesterday something came up which requires me to go overseas at the end of the month for about 3 weeks.

The trouble is it is imperative I go then yet the the reasons are kind of odd (my family are originally from Brazil and need to sort out some inheritence / legal stuff etc there) but I am afraid that if that my client will not believe me / be happy with this + I need the cash from the job.

I was wondering if I claim I am sick for a few weeks would that cut it / be believable and just postpone the project. They will not like this either! :

What do people think - what would you do?

It would be fine except if I do not go then I will have a massive trouble organizing things afterwards. Also, finishing the project is very difficult as the schedule is very tight as is.

Any advice would be very greatly appreciated - I am very worried about this problem.

Thanks,

Martín

Boskowski · 05-01-2009 10:19pm

Can you talk reasonably to your client? Is there any chance you could mitigate the problems that arise when you leave the project for 3 weeks? Like keep working at least part-time on this from overseas? Does your work require you to be on-site all the time?

Movershaker · 05-01-2009 10:22pm

Why would your client not believe you, have you messed them around in the past?

My advice would be to be completely honest with your client, tell them that you have an urgent and unavoidable family matter to attend to in Brazil and you will have to go there for a bit for about 3 weeks to sort it out. Tell them that their business is very important to you and you are determined to see the project through if they could push the deadline back by a month. If they are not happy with this offer to do everything you can to facilitate the transfer of the job to another contractor.

To be honest, it sounds like you know you won't get the job done within the agreed deadline anyway and perhaps are looking for excuses to push it back. Sorry if I'm being out of line, but I really think that honesty is the best policy here, if you don't want your business reputation to suffer that is.

Rb · 05-01-2009 10:22pm

Sit your client down and explain exactly why you have to go abroad, and see if he will renegotiate the contract. You may lose a few euro as a consequence but your honesty will stand to you in the future.

0utshined · 05-01-2009 10:49pm

Is it possible to sub-contract it to someone you know? As a contractor your reputation is important so don't go lying. Let them know the facts - unavoidable family emergency and you have to go for a number of weeks to sort it out and can complete on your return or get someone else to do. Best of luck with it.

Reesy · 05-01-2009 11:51pm

Martin, if you had to choose between going to Brazil in Feb or having the money, which would you choose?

To put it another way, can you afford to live without the money? If I was the boss, & I needed the project to go in on time to keep my own job, I would not hesitate to replace you if that's the only way to get the work done. Are you happy to take that risk?

Sorry to be negative, but in these recessionary times, some managers will think & act like this.

Caryatnid · 06-01-2009 1:24am

I don't know the circumstances such as why your manager would not believe you, or how likely it is you could get some flexibility with your deadline, so I feel like I can't give exact advice on that.
However, reading your post - I would say one thing - be honest, that way things are most likely to work out.

What Would you do?

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