If you're a freelancer, do you choose your own hours and work from home?

[LancyDancy]

Or from your own office space / local cafes, etc? How much control over your working day do you have?

I've been freelancing for a short while and many clients want me to come into their office for set times and follow employees working hours. That seems to be the norm. Basically I'm the same as an employee but with no sick pay or holiday?

The work is not entry level, but not management either.

I'm struggling a little because I have several chronic illnesses and can't fulfill obligations in a 'normal' full time capacity on a 'normal' 8.30 to 7 scheduled work day. I'm experienced and skilled and have things to offer clients though, and want to work. Will obviously keep chugging along with current projects until they're finished and then take a rest period, but want to work at changing things in future, so it's more along the lines of I deliver the work by agreed deadlines but am not expected to come in every day?

Am I being unrealistic?

I guess it must totally depend on what type of work you do. I'm freelance and work from home (or wherever I like with an internet connection) and I set my own hours. No one cares when I work as long as I meet my deadlines. I 've never met any of my clients though, and not would I expect to, so we must do completely different jobs y

It does seem as though you have all the disadvantages of being a freelancer with none of the benefits, so yanbu.

I've done both. When I was doing layout/subbing/proofing work for magazines in London I was expected to come into the office, although with some longer term clients I could say I was only going to do a certain number of days per week.

I still did it, because at my daily freelance rate it was worth it.

I now always work from home, and only accept clients who will allow me to do that. For good, long term clients I will check my email each morning and fulfill whatever they need that day, where possible, but they do pay me a good rate for that, and they always pay within a few days of being invoiced.

I guess really it comes down to what you're offering and whether they're willing to pay you to do that.