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Subject:Unexpected delays From:geoff-h -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA Date:Mon, 9 Jun 1997 12:50:08 -0500
Robin Allen asked what wording to use in contracts to
account for "customer-induced delays". Robin, the best bet
is to understand that these delays are going to happen, and
discuss how to handle them with your client _before_ you
write up the contract. Negotiate an agreement that both of
you can live with, _then_ put it into the contract and get
it signed. And keep communicating with the client
throughout the course of the contract to remind them of
deadlines well before the deadline occurs. If you know
something is going to slip with a week's warning, you can
take appropriate measures (e.g., work on something else,
stock up on coffee, hire a subcontractor, etc.).
That being said, I'd aim for something like an "overtime"
rate. Try something like suggesting a 50% increase for any
hours more than XX that you must work per week as a result
of the slipped deadline, and a 100% increase for any hours
more than YY that you must work per week. These are fairly
common numbers (in Canada) used to compensate people for
working outside normal work hours, or on designated
holidays, so they strike me as a reasonable basis for
calculating a premium. If the client doesn't want to pay an
overtime rate, they might instead accept an extension of
the deadline, which is easier on your nervous system and
costs them less too. YMMV... negotiate and see what you can
get, then put it in writing.
--Geoff Hart @8^{)} geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Disclaimer: Speaking for myself, not FERIC.
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