# Pay hours dispute for my new contract - is it fair/legal to make me run errands for free? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2010, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780 "2010-04-20T18:47:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780/21 "2010-04-20T21:45:26Z")
JMHO, but … > [@fusoya](#): > > If I do any future jobs for this client, would making a point that if they aren’t going to pay me to go to another site (the fedex pickup first), I won’t be going there going to help my case, or just encourage them to use someone else with less of a spine? I think it depends. If you are one of a few people who can do the job, or the client just likes you personally, then you can probably get what you want. If your company has a bunch of other contractors who can do the job, and the client isn’t particularly attached to you, then most likely one of those other contractors will go next time. After all, you did say that you didn’t like the arrangement. This has sorta been said already, but I wouldn’t say someone has ‘less of a spine’ if they were to put up with this. They may do the math and decide they come out ahead at the end of the week. Or they may see it as a way to build up goodwill points with the company (to spend later when they have a special request). Or they may just not mind that much having to spend a few extra hours a week in the car spacing out and listening to the radio. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780/22 "2010-04-20T22:08:10Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > If you can make $85 an hour somewhere else during that time, call a courier service and have them pick up the package for $40. Then show up when its there. You’ll be $40 ahead. Close. Show up on site, start work, and then call the courier company to deliver the parts. If they insist that they only pay work work on site, stay on site and sub out the driving to a courier. And really, pick up the parts FROM FedEx? FedEx is a freaking delivery service! WTF? ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780/23 "2010-04-20T22:28:57Z")
> [@astro](#): > > When you are being paid 200 to 400 percent more than market the rational thing to do would be to look on it as part of (your) cost of doing business for this particular job. You seem to have decided this is the hill you want to die on. > > IMO, assuming you are getting this $ 85.00 per hour and are not splitting with the company you need to adopt a broad view as to your overall pay package and eat the travel. > > Seriously, you’re an onsite computer install tech pocketing $ 85 and hour and you’re bellyaching about this, especially in this economy? Unless you are the absolute, irreplaceable God King at whatever you do if I were your employer I’d be tempted to fire someone making a fuss about this. The amount he’s being paid is irrelevant. He did spend the time, work and money getting an education for it so he’s earned that salary imo. Maybe the OP doesn’t like being taken advantge of, working for nothing is a form of that. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780/24 "2010-04-20T22:31:12Z")
> [@drachillix](#): > > To those quibbling about the pay rate he recieves, this is not unusual for advanced onsite types. The downside is, he gets nothing when they dont have any work for him. So by paying $85/hr it allows him to make a basic living wage even when they only have 5 hours of work a week for him. He is not making $85/hr for 40 hours a week. I know that. I used to do IT consulting at a $150 an hour bill rate (hey, it was the late 90s and I had a specialized skill set that is now long obsolete). My husband’s consulting rate is around $200 last I checked. But at those rates you usually have lots of time to do “extras” for your clients without billing them. And if you are so good you don’t have extra time, you can afford to sub the extras and bill them out at a much lower rate. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780/25 "2010-04-20T22:43:04Z")
I don’t know if it is fair, but the only way to determine if it legal where you work is for you to consult a legal professional in your area. Closing thread. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pay-hours-dispute-for-my-new-contract-is-it-fair-legal-to-make-me-run-errands-for-free/536780.md?page=1)