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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think my brother is a twat for turning down £250 a day?

94 replies

WilburIsSomePig · 29/04/2015 18:56

He's been out of work for 8 weeks (he's a contractor). Has been offered a 10 month contract at £250 a day but has turned it down because he 'didn't really fancy the role'. Meanwhile, his lovely wife is working extra hours whenever she can and I'm paying for my DNs' activities every week like karate, horse riding and dance classes. They're lovely kids so I said I could help short term but not so that he could turn down a job and lie on the fucking sofa all day. I'm so angry with him.

OP posts:
shewept · 29/04/2015 19:46

Oh shit you are paying for them? I misread it. I thought you were helping out looking after them.

So he has 2 women working to pay for his kids and his life and he turned down work? Wtf?

Fabulassie · 29/04/2015 19:46

Unless the role he doesn't fancy is "Porn Set Fluffer" then YANBU.

Actually, he shouldn't really turn that role down, either.

DixieNormas · 29/04/2015 19:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

notquiteruralbliss · 29/04/2015 19:50

If it is within his normal say rate band, he should take it unless he thinks it is something he can't do. The trade off I make as a contractor is that i occasionally take less than thrilling assignments as long as they are something's here I think I can add value.

Unexpected · 29/04/2015 19:53

If he is a contractor he should be used to having fallow periods between contracts and have a buffer of savings to cope with that? He is very poor at managing his finances if, at the end of one contract, you immediately had to step in to pay for your DN's activities and his wife had to take a second job? Does he have no savings at all?

CalamitouslyWrong · 29/04/2015 19:57

£250 a day is way more than £30k. I think it's more than £50k a year.

Mintyy · 29/04/2015 19:58

Someone I am closely acquainted with earns £300 - £500 per day and is actually pretty comfortable. But if he turned down £250 per day in favour of not working I think he would get pretty short shrift from his family.

Mintyy · 29/04/2015 19:59

I make it £60,000 if you take off 4 weeks holidays.

Absolutely definitely not to be sniffed at!

TheBoov · 29/04/2015 20:02

£250x5x52=£65k

If I'm on a day rate I earn more than £250 but I'd happily accept a long term job on that!!!

CalamitouslyWrong · 29/04/2015 20:02

No. £250 a day is certainly not to be sniffed at.

I would be very cross indeed if DH were turning down work at £250 a day while I worked at second job (and his sister paid for stuff for the children).

DoJo · 29/04/2015 20:06

Depending on how you work £250 a day could represent about £50k a year - if he's working through an umbrella company then it will be less, but if he's operating through his own limited company then £50 k ish is a reasonable assumption.

DoJo · 29/04/2015 20:07

Take home that is.

ToBeeOrNot · 29/04/2015 20:07

Did they ask for your help financially?

YANBU to be annoyed if he asked for your help and then is being picky about assignments.

I would expect that contractors would either have a buffer so can afford to turn down £250 in the hope of getting something with a higher day rate and/or more interesting, or be willing to take anything offered if they don't have that buffer.

nettlewine · 29/04/2015 20:08

I mean it'd the equlivant of 30k a year permie with all the perks and security. My dh says its not worth switching from permie to contractor unless the daily rate double the permie rate.

PrimalLass · 29/04/2015 20:10

Bloody hell. What company gives 20k of benefits!

DixieNormas · 29/04/2015 20:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nettlewine · 29/04/2015 20:13

Its not 20k benefits, its the security of year round pay, pension, Car allowance. Healthcare, 30 days holiday, charity days, paternity and all that

DownWithThisTypeOfThing · 29/04/2015 20:19

nettlewine I'd like to think my husband would take £25 a day if it meant I didn't have to go out and get a second job like OP's DB/DSIL scenario.

Who does that? No matter how much you think you're worth you just wouldn't see your OH get a second job and your sister fund your kids activities if there was something/anything on offer.

nettlewine · 29/04/2015 20:24

Oh I agree there. When my dh started contracting we lived really frugally for awhile until we had enough in the bank to manage without him working for 18 months.

He sounds like a lazy guy who is happy to be subbed by other people. But could have a much better job lined up. A few weeks without work isn't long.

oddfodd · 29/04/2015 20:24

What your DH earns and whether £250/day equates to £30k or £70k is neither here nor there nettle.

The bloke hasn't worked for 8 weeks, they're struggling financially and he's turned down work.

His wife is working extra hours and his sister is subbing his kids. He's an odious shit frankly.

CalamitouslyWrong · 29/04/2015 20:25

A few weeks without work is a long time if your wife has to find and start an extra job and you have to start asking family for handouts.

shewept · 29/04/2015 20:26

Down my dh would too.

nettle that doesn't add up to 20k and there are benefits to self employed work too. Just because your dh would only do it if it's was double, doesn't mean that's what its worth.

It's 50k plus. That will enable his wife to work only one job, on her normal hours and actually pay for his family himslef, rather than depending on his sister to pay.

DixieNormas · 29/04/2015 20:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

eyebags63 · 29/04/2015 20:29

£250? Many would love to take that home in a week. Clearly YANBU, he needs to get a fucking grip and take the work.

HorsesDogsNails · 29/04/2015 20:30

My DH contracts and we have 6 months salary in savings so that when he is between contracts we can carry on living our normal life. If he goes back to back or gets extended we treat ourselves..... It's the only way to do contracting because there will ALWAYS be periods of being out of contract!

Your DB needs to (1) take the job and (2) put some away as savings.