Billing Hourly?

[NotAllThere]

I've usually charged for travel time...but I always feel obliged to do some laptop work while in transit (not driving obviously!).

Anybody else feel that, or is it just my Protestant work ethic?

I always feel obliged to either sleep (morning flight) or drink beer (afternoon/evening flight ).

[MPwannadecentincome]

Hi everyone,

I am on a new role that bills hourly. I have only ever billed on a daily rate before so could use some advice on what to do here. There are a few quirks so some advice would be welcome.

1) I will be working from home and not in the office
2) I will have to travel from the UK to Sweden/Finland every 2 weeks or more for 2 days at a time.

In regards to working from my home office, I am happy to charge in the hours I work, there or about a full working day. However, when it comes to travelling to Europe, what should I be billing?

For example, I fly out on an evening (say 5pm) and arrive at my hotel at 11pm, to start work the next day at 9am. Should I be charging in any of this travel time?

Perhaps these are silly questions, but any guidance would be appreciated.

Kind regards
TM

Ideally your contract should cover this, I'm doing something similar and for longer flights my time is paid for but for Europe I could not get the client to agree.

[BigTime]

i had a contract that paid 1.5 overtime and weekends. obviously i preferred to travel sundays to be fresh for a monday start.

[blacjac]

I've usually charged for travel time...but I always feel obliged to do some laptop work while in transit (not driving obviously!).

Anybody else feel that, or is it just my Protestant work ethic?

No, it's just you.
Are you sure you're cut out to be a contractor?

[diesel]

You should be billing what you have agreed (or agreeing what you are going to bill). Personally I have always taken the view that travel time is chargeable, if my client isn't paying for it then I don't go.

AGREE. however my client insists if i am travelling for meetings which are not chargeable to the client's client, that i should not be charging my time to their company overheads. So agree make sure you get it agreed with client.

[thunderlizard]

I've usually charged for travel time...but I always feel obliged to do some laptop work while in transit (not driving obviously!).

Anybody else feel that, or is it just my Protestant work ethic?

[themistry]

Thanks for the heads up guys,

I shall bill accordingly

TM

[downsouth]

i've always billed from the time i reach the airport and land back again in the evening, commuting time, ie in UK always my own time

But agreed if you can get the client to pick up door to door then even better

[blacjac]

Agreed. I had to go out to the states for a couple of weeks for a gig a year or so ago.

I billed from the moment I left my house to the moment I entered my hotel room at the other end. The reverse coming back.


Of course I agreed this with the client first though

[ASB]

Hi everyone,

I am on a new role that bills hourly. I have only ever billed on a daily rate before so could use some advice on what to do here. There are a few quirks so some advice would be welcome.

1) I will be working from home and not in the office
2) I will have to travel from the UK to Sweden/Finland every 2 weeks or more for 2 days at a time.

In regards to working from my home office, I am happy to charge in the hours I work, there or about a full working day. However, when it comes to travelling to Europe, what should I be billing?

For example, I fly out on an evening (say 5pm) and arrive at my hotel at 11pm, to start work the next day at 9am. Should I be charging in any of this travel time?

Perhaps these are silly questions, but any guidance would be appreciated.

Kind regards
TM

You should be billing what you have agreed (or agreeing what you are going to bill). Personally I have always taken the view that travel time is chargeable, if my client isn't paying for it then I don't go.

[themistry]

Hi everyone,

I am on a new role that bills hourly. I have only ever billed on a daily rate before so could use some advice on what to do here. There are a few quirks so some advice would be welcome.

1) I will be working from home and not in the office
2) I will have to travel from the UK to Sweden/Finland every 2 weeks or more for 2 days at a time.

In regards to working from my home office, I am happy to charge in the hours I work, there or about a full working day. However, when it comes to travelling to Europe, what should I be billing?

For example, I fly out on an evening (say 5pm) and arrive at my hotel at 11pm, to start work the next day at 9am. Should I be charging in any of this travel time?

Perhaps these are silly questions, but any guidance would be appreciated.

Kind regards
TM