Hourly rate - employer checking timesheet?

[Boo]

Question to the per hour guys... billing for eating at your desk? It isn't often I see someone working at their desk while eating. Most browse the news sites or general stuff on the web while eating but we are all per day guys n gals. Do you really work while eating or are you just taking a break while being at your desk?

I bill for every hour I am on site, working or not. I generally take half an hour for lunch which I eat at my desk but take the view that I am available to field questions etc.

Never had any complaints.

Boo

[ExPermie]

but for 15 minutes of downtime where you are still half working at your desk?

Do you bill at half the rate when you're half working?

This has got to be a wind up?

[BigRed]

If they want me onsite I bill for it. If they want response within 30mins I negotiate, any faster I bill for it.

[psychocandy]

I had that.

Except the afternoon before your invoices were due you could collect a print out of your times.

Handy I guess in case you 'accidentally' put the wrong hours....

[SueEllen]

Handy I guess in case you 'accidentally' put the wrong hours....

Well if you are like me and don't start dead on 00 or 30, and do a mixture of long and short days it helps.

Though it was amusing as their clocks were out by about 10 minutes.

[Boney M]

Think that is poor form personally and seen others do it at other gigs I have been on myself. Always bill my core hours minus an hour for lunch even though I tend to work through and eat at my desk. Regularly there 30 mins before the day starts and always there at least 20-30mins after my finish time. If I am there any more than 45 mins after my finish time i will bill it and document why. Done it this way for years so am used to it.

The 30 mins before I start and the 20-30 mins after my finishing hours I work am available, I see this as more to my advantage when it comes to renewal time, the amount of times I have seen them get rid of the contractors who rock up at 08:59 and leave at 17:00 against others that put in that little more effort for the client I think it is worth it for the longevity of the contract

[MyUserName]

I used to work in bank where the entire thing was automated. My contract was 40 hours per week (i.e. not including lunch) and the submissions were automatically handled based on the times recorded from the swipe card logs.

I quite liked it as it was, basically, hassle free for me.

[SussexSeagull]

Personally I am either at my desk working or away at lunch and never the twain shall meet.

Keeps things nice and simple.

[curtis]

Personally I am either at my desk working or away at lunch and never the twain shall meet.

Keeps things nice and simple.

Ditto. I always have lunch away from my desk even if I go and sit in my car, which some people I think find odd but I will not stay at my desk for my break, it can be bad enough at times sat there the rest of the day in some places!

[MyUserName]

Ditto. I always have lunch away from my desk even if I go and sit in my car, which some people I think find odd but I will not stay at my desk for my break, it can be bad enough at times sat there the rest of the day in some places!

I have a graze box each day, I eat two sachets at 11ish and two at 3ish. At lunchtimes I go training outside. No one seems to mind, I train on the road outside the office (carrying sandbags, heavy water containers etc.) so they know where I am. I get stopped sometimes by people asking what I am doing - particularly if I am doing a mile run in full armour on Tuesdays but that is it.