Reply to: Timesheet / billing for general availability in lieu of a current task?

[ladymuck]

I have to say, I would not want to work somewhere where I would have to account for every minute of the day just in case someone checks up and does an audit. Perm or contract, that's not an environment I would want to work in.

I have been very fortunate to always work places where the management attitude is "this is what we need, get on with it" and as long I do get on with it and the output is to a sufficient standard, they sign off my timesheets.

[gables]

Yes I think this is what i'm grinding up against; in order to preempt an "audit", I want to account for literally everything I do. I even have "canary" tasks, where I complete work but actually don't bill for it, so that I can gather them up as evidence of "good will" in case I get scrutinised.

I was actually a contractor in London during the 2000s, but I would bill daily instead of hourly. It was perfectly reasonable to go to the pub at 12 on a Friday, only to head back at 17:00 to pick up one's coat. Those days got billed 100%. My managers were also in the pub with me. The whole day. Ah the halcyon days of yore.

Wonder if it's still the same...?

With them being there it made it a working lunch so obviously billable :-)

[Paralytic]

Not sure if it's suitable, but a good tool for giving a break down of work based on what applications your using is Rescue Time.
It's probably one of the most reliable ways to gauge how much someone is working, when they're remote.

Does it record how long you spend using a spell checker?

[krytonsheep]

I want to account for literally everything I do

Not sure if it's suitable, but a good tool for giving a break down of work based on what applications your using is Rescue Time.
It's probably one of the most reliable ways to gauge how much someone is working, when they're remote.

[bigrog]

Most contractors in the industries I've worked tend to live by "The 4-Hour Workweek". You bill 40 hours a week and do 4 hours work on Friday afternoon The only caveat being, you have to be working on site. Working remote, there's definitely more pressure to demonstrate you are doing some work.

Yes I think this is what i'm grinding up against; in order to preempt an "audit", I want to account for literally everything I do. I even have "canary" tasks, where I complete work but actually don't bill for it, so that I can gather them up as evidence of "good will" in case I get scrutinised.

I was actually a contractor in London during the 2000s, but I would bill daily instead of hourly. It was perfectly reasonable to go to the pub at 12 on a Friday, only to head back at 17:00 to pick up one's coat. Those days got billed 100%. My managers were also in the pub with me. The whole day. Ah the halcyon days of yore.

Wonder if it's still the same...?

[zonkkk]

Thanks lad for your reply. My issue is not that i'm billing 8 but doing 4; it's more that i'm expected to do 8, but can only do 4, and therefore will only bill for 4.

My original question was badly articulated - my bad.

You're too fast; slow down to half speed!

[krytonsheep]

4 hours work for 8 hours pay

Most contractors in the industries I've worked tend to live by "The 4-Hour Workweek". You bill 40 hours a week and do 4 hours work on Friday afternoon The only caveat being, you have to be working on site. Working remote, there's definitely more pressure to demonstrate you are doing some work.

[PerfectStorm]

perfectstorm is on the right track but 4 hours work for 8 hours pay is a bit beyond acceptable imo.
.

YANCOTBAC


Common practise in my experience.

[SimonMac]

This was actually a requirement in a company I was perm at back in the late '90's. The new online timesheet system was so awful that in order to track productivity lost on filling it in, they did ask people to log time spent filling in the timesheet. It was phased out after a while and the skivers were much upset.

I jest but I had a similar thing when a permie for West Yorkshire Police many years ago, once a year we have to track every 15 min period for two weeks

[ladymuck]

Do you log the time taken to log your time on the timesheet anywhere?

This was actually a requirement in a company I was perm at back in the late '90's. The new online timesheet system was so awful that in order to track productivity lost on filling it in, they did ask people to log time spent filling in the timesheet. It was phased out after a while and the skivers were much upset.

[bigrog]

Time to speak to your client and clarify the situation.

This is ultimately what I need(ed) to do, yea

[bigrog]

Do you log the time taken to log your time on the timesheet anywhere?

I love this suggestion - based on recursion alone and compounding "interest", i'll fill up to 8.5 hours every day

[bigrog]

Is the time logging on each task a client requirement?

Hi Lady -- not an explicit requirement, but I am doing it to be beyond reproach. I converted from perm, and some ruffled feathers are already ruffling back in the office at the fact that I just double my salary, albeit out-going as I train my replacement.

[bigrog]

How many hours actual work would you do if you were in the office? Hint - it won't be 8.5 hours. If you spend 50% of your time on task A, 50% on task B, then it's 4 hours on each.

You have to factor in "thinking time", coffee breaks, admin... I don't record anything in less that 2 hour chunks.

Hi NAT - this is a very good point. I've found myself accounting a task of 3 minutes, for example! Just not doable. In the office, i'll do much less work in much more time, for the very reasons you mentioned. Interestingly enough, i'm even getting a back ache sitting in the home office, as I just don't walk around as much as I did in the actual office itself.

I'll decrease the resolution of the time chunks into extents of around 1 - 2 hours. Good call.

[bigrog]

Perfectstorm is on the right track but 4 hours work for 8 hours pay is a bit beyond acceptable IMO. It's not naiive and you do right to question it in your situation. The client won't be happy at all if it comes under scrutiny so I'd be looking to some how up the hours. Doesn't have to be 8 on the dot but more than half a days work for sure.

Thanks lad for your reply. My issue is not that i'm billing 8 but doing 4; it's more that i'm expected to do 8, but can only do 4, and therefore will only bill for 4.

My original question was badly articulated - my bad.