Working on weekends without compensation

I'm sorry to hear about the challenging situation you're facing. Here are some insights and suggestions on how to handle this:

1. Common Practice:

It's not uncommon for consulting firms to expect consultants to work on weekends occasionally, especially during critical project phases or client training sessions. However, working 10 hours a day for 10 weekends without compensation or time off is not a standard or ethical practice in most consulting firms.

2. How to Handle the Situation:

Here's how you can approach this situation:

**a. ** Review Your Contract:

Check your employment contract and the company's policies regarding working hours, compensation for overtime, and weekend work. Ensure you are aware of your rights and the terms of your employment.

**b. ** Discuss With Your Manager:

Have an open and honest conversation with your immediate manager about your concerns. Clearly express your reservations about working extensive hours without compensation and explain why this situation is problematic for you.

**c. ** Document Everything:

Keep records of any promises made by the partner regarding days off and any changes in the original agreement. Having written evidence can be helpful if you need to escalate the situation later.

**d. ** Consult Human Resources:

If your manager doesn't address your concerns, escalate the issue to the HR department. Explain the situation and provide any documentation you have. HR should be able to guide you on the company policies and potential solutions.

**e. ** Negotiate Compromise:

Suggest a compromise where you and your team are compensated for the extra weekend hours or given additional time off during the week to balance the workload. Be prepared to negotiate and find a solution that works for both parties.

**f. ** Team Discussion:

Talk to your colleagues and see if they share your concerns. If they do, approaching the management as a unified team might have more impact.

**g. ** Evaluate Your Options:

If the situation doesn't improve and the firm is not responsive to your concerns, you might need to evaluate your options. This could include seeking legal advice, contacting labor boards, or considering alternative employment opportunities if this treatment goes against labor laws in your region.

Remember, it's essential to stand up for your rights and have open communication with your employer. Consulting firms rely on their skilled workforce, and it's in their best interest to maintain a positive and respectful working environment.

Hi there,

While I'd normally say “suck it up” and what did expect….this is actually ridiculous.

The partner promised you leave on other days. He isn't even attending the training himself (saw your comment). And they want you working 10 weekends in a row for 10 hours?

Absolutely absurd. And, very very bad leadership.

1. is it common for consulting firms to make consultant work fully on weekends without compensation knowing that they need us just for logistics?

It's “common” to work on weekends without compensation. What is not common is having to do that for something like this, with empty promises, and for such a long stretch.

2. Any suggestions on how to handle this situation?

This is very tough. I don't know your country. Company. Culture. Office dynamics. People there. Who has power/influence. How many of your team members. What's in writing/email versus what is verbal.

Ultimately, you need to navigate the situation very carefully. There are ways to easily mess up your career if you're not careful. However, it's also something that should be raised.

I've been in so many situations like this, so I'm happy to help you navigate this effectively.

In essence, you should find a way to tactfully and politically raise this to HR and/or more senior partners. You should not be putting yourself on the firing line.

Make sense?

^impossible to prescribe exactly what to do here, but if you'd like help actually navigating this feel free to shoot me a message as I'll need far more details - we need to talk through dynamics, politics, scenarios, etc.

Hi there, 

I am sorry to hear that you have to deal with this uncomfortable situation. 

It's not uncommon for consulting firms to have consultants work on weekends or outside regular business hours when projects demand it, but the circumstances and expectations can vary widely between firms and even within the same firm depening on the projects. Whether or not it's appropriate or fair depends on a multitude of factors, including your employment contract, the firm's policies, the specific project's requirements and the “leadership style” of your supervisor. Hence, you might have, even within the same company, projects that require you to work on weekends and others where you do not have to do overtime. 

Here are some considerations and suggestions on how to handle the situation you are facing:

1. Discussing your concerns and seeking a mutually acceptable solution should be the first step in addressing this issue.
2. Carefully review your employment contract and any company policies regarding working hours, overtime compensation, and training requirements. 
3. Ask for more information about the training's objectives and how it ties into your project work. If it's truly essential for the project's success, try to understand why your participation is necessary.
4. If the training is non-mandatory and you and your colleagues are not interested in the sector, consider proposing alternative solutions. For example, suggest that the firm hire temporary or part-time staff to handle the logistics.
5. Talk to your colleagues who are in the same situation and discuss your concerns collectively. There is strength in numbers, and your concerns may carry more weight if presented as a group.
6. Keep records of any promises, discussions, or changes in expectations related to your work hours and training attendance. This documentation can be helpful if you need to escalate the issue.
7. If you believe that the initial promise of having days off for training attendance was a part of your agreement or if you have concerns about working on weekends without compensation, consider having a candid conversation with your supervisor or HR department. 
8. If you cannot reach a satisfactory resolution through internal discussions and you believe your rights are being violated or the situation is unfair, consider seeking legal advice.

I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck to solve the matter soon!

Best,

Margot

Hi there,

I am sorry to hear you are under this situation and totally understand how you might feel (I’ve been there a few times). To your questions:

Q: Is it common for consulting firms to have consultants work weekends without extra pay, especially just for logistics?

While consulting can be a little crazy in term of working hours, working on weekends shouldn’t be the norm. This varies across firms, geographies and partners you work with. Contrary to what you might think, I’ve worked more weekends while being at Accenture and PwC than in McKinsey.

In one particular case while in Accenture, we as team talked with the partner an reached an agreement to get some days off in exchange of working some Saturdays but on most other cases I didn’t get any compensation.

Q: Any suggestions on how to handle this situation?

• First, talk with your team to understand how this is impacting everyone and reach some common field
• Second, have an open conversation with the partner. Try to understand how long this is going to last and explain how this is impacting you (missing personal commitments, not resting enough, etc.)
• Try to reach some agreement on how long this would last and compensation (this is typically days off, not money)
• Do your research on how is working with a partner before entering any other project

I hope this helps!

Alberto

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear about this situation, which must feel challenging. I understand your concerns regarding the situation you're facing with weekend training and the change in expectations from your consulting firm. To address your questions:

Common Practice in Consulting Firms: Consulting firms occasionally require consultants to work on weekends, especially when there are client training sessions or other project-related activities scheduled during those times. However, it is not common for consultants to work on weekends without compensation, especially if their primary role is logistics and not active participation in the training sessions.

Handling the Situation:

a. Communication: First, consider having an open and respectful conversation with your partner or project manager. Express your concerns about the change in expectations and the initial promise of time off. Seek clarification on the reasons behind the shift in approach.

b. Understand the Value: If your partner emphasizes this as an opportunity to learn, try to understand if there is indeed value in attending the training, even if it's not directly related to your sector of interest. Sometimes, consulting firms encourage consultants to broaden their knowledge and skills, which can be beneficial in the long run.

c. Negotiation: If attending the training remains a requirement, discuss the possibility of receiving compensation for your time and effort, especially if it involves working long hours during weekends. Negotiate with your firm for fair compensation or additional time off to balance the workload.

d. Team Approach: Speak with your fellow consultants who are in a similar situation. If there is collective concern, consider addressing it as a team. Together, you may have more influence in negotiating better terms or finding alternative solutions.

e. Seek HR Guidance: If discussions with your project manager or partner do not yield a satisfactory resolution, consider reaching out to your firm's HR department for guidance and to discuss your concerns.

f. Evaluate Long-Term Fit: Reflect on your long-term career goals and whether this situation aligns with your career aspirations and values. If you consistently find yourself in situations that do not match your expectations, it may be worth evaluating whether the firm is the right fit for you.

Remember that open and respectful communication is key when addressing such issues within a consulting firm. It's important to advocate for fair treatment and work arrangements that align with both your needs and the firm's goals.

If you have further questions or need more personalized advice, please feel free to reach out.

Warm regards, Frederic

Hi,

So here's a reality about consulting - your pay isn't actually variable to the number of hours you work (even if it means weekend work). 

However, most normal case teams will try and recognize the time spent on the weekends and ‘give back’ that time to the case team (something like what your partner initially said). 

Personally - this is what I would do 

• Raise this and push this responsibility to your manager (this is your manager's job to manage)
• If above does not work, and if your firm has an ‘ombuds’ or HR department that tracks worklife balance, you could consider raising it to them as well (but this needs to be done carefully)

Happy to chat more to share more details on the nuances in your approach that you need to be aware of.

All the best!

Hi there,

First of all, I am sorry to hear about the negative experience with your employer!

I would be happy to share my thoughts on your situation:

• First of all, while weekend work is not uncommon in consulting, especially during crucial phases of a project, it should ideally come with some sort of compensation, typically in the form of additional days off. Using your consultants for logistics tasks on weekends without adequate compensation is not standard practice, especially if the initial commitment was to provide days off in return.
• Moreover, promises, especially those made by partners, should be honored. Not keeping promises can erode trust within the team, which is essential in such high-pressure environments.
• Lastly, I would highly advise you to approach the situation delicately. It's vital to communicate your concerns without coming across as confrontational. Seeking advice from a trusted colleague or mentor within the firm can provide a better perspective on how to proceed.

If you would like a more detailed discussion on your specific situation, please don't hesitate to contact me directly.

Best,

Hagen

Hi there!

Sorry to hear.

No, this is by no means common. And based on your description, what the Partner is asking for and how he's positioning it isn't fair. 

Realistically, you have two avenues of action:

1. Fight. Basically, speak with your office head, speak with your staffer, speak with the Partner himself, speak with the EM, etc. Communicate that you're not ok with this in the nicest way possible and offer an alternative arrangement that could satisfy you. Try to recruit others from within the team to make a common front here. 

I don't guarantee this is going to work. You might fix the short term issue, but it's unlikely that the relationship with this Partner will continue in favourable terms. 

2. Adapt. This is rather what I would suggest. Sometimes in life, you have to bite the bullet. In consulting, especially in the beginning, you work with a lot of people that you don't know. You also don't know how to do your due diligence in terms of choosing projects. And even more often, you don't have a choice of projects that want you. So you end up in situations like the one you're in. 

So, here I'd try to figure out what can you actually do that makes you least uncomfortable while ensuring that you'll strill preserve a good relationship with the Partner. Make sure that he'll be able to give good feedback for you in the next evaluation cycle. And then make sure that you never ever ever work with that person again. 

Overall, I believe the second option will lead to least amount of harm for you. 

Sharing with you two guides with tips on how to have a strong start in your consulting career:

• Expert Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Expert Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Best,
Cristian

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Hi there,

This is just awful. Let me address your points directly:

1. Is it common for consulting firms to make consultant work fully on weekends without compensation knowing that they need us just for logistics? Absolutely not! Weekends are sacred and that's the only way to make consulting sustainable. In my ~2.5 years at McKinsey, I didn't work a single weekend, let alone 10. I have never heard anything like this, which is abusive and unethical and goes way beyond “consulting is tough”. 
2. Any suggestions on how to handle this situation? This is the tricky part. You should seek help from within the firm, primarily. If you have someone you trust in a position of influence e.g. HR, Partner, PD, I would tell them and ask for support. Unless this is common practice in the office, which I sincerely hope it's not, they should feel compelled to help you. As for external help, this would imply some sort of legal support/action because labor laws were likely broken. However, you probably don't want to go down that path if you want to have a future in the firm. But it's an option.

Hope this helps. Best of luck!

Moritz