How do I work out billable time?

curlyhead

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 5:07 am

I have ideal work at home job but trouble working out my actual time. I get paid per hour but I rarely sit for a whole hour straight doing work . I do a bit but then while waiting for it to save or upload I will go take care of kids or do housework or surf. For example now I have 3 videos uploading, plus one video opening in editor plus 2 other files uploading. My computer is at its max and I cant really get more work done . My job is with videos and other uploads. Do I count just the time I am by the computer actually working on files? Do I count waiting for files to upload for work? If I have to keep on coming back to computer to see where it is holding is that counted? I cannot really do another job while waiting for things to save and uplaod other then very simple things such as typing. Is it wrong to charge while sitting in front of computer waiting for it to upload? I'm talking about small waits that take 5-10 min to upload or process. I could spend a whole day working like this but in reality its only 2-3h of my labour as certain stages takes only a a few min of my work but then between 20 min to a couple hours of the computers work.

amother

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 6:34 am

I have the same dilemma. What about when waiting for something to print? That could take a very long time depending on the number of pages. What about a slow computer? Maybe my things would load faster if I got a new computer. But, my job isn't paying for one!

OP, my first opinion would be to ask your employer. If you could do this, it would be the best. Explain the situation and tell him that it still takes your time (you can't leave the house), but not to the same degree as actually working.
But, from experience, I know that this is not always practical. People once asked my boss if they could bench on work time (he's a frum guy), he was upset that they even asked! He said that's a given. Obviously, that was specific to that specific job, but s/t it's a little weird to ask when the employer either doesn't have time and patience for such questions or will roll his eyes b/c he thinks it's so obvious.

debsey

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 9:14 am

curlyhead wrote:

I'd discuss with the boss. Can you have two different rates, one for "sitting at the computer, completely absorbed in your work" and one for "coming to babysit file uploads"?

Here's how I do something very different - I set a timer. I only charge for minutes I'm actually working.
Like if I'd come check on the progress of a video as it uploads, then shoot a message to my boss that it's uploading, that took 3 minutes. I write that down. Every time those "three minutes" add up to an hour - I bill for it.

But I work in a very different field, so I don't know if that would work for you.

greenfire

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 9:24 am

it's like that employer who only wanted to pay when the telephone rings ... but the secretary is still sitting at the desk

reality is that work cannot get done without you getting the functions going ... and that takes time as well

so it's not the whole day - but it's certainly longer than those 'few minutes'

maybe there is a more lucrative way of averaging out the actual amount of time things take to download - even when you're not sitting directly by the computer & add that to your daily workable time

vicki

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 9:30 am

Absolutely charge for uploading time, printing time. The activities are all for work. Not for your personal benefit as laundry, childcare or cooking dinner would be.

Not for time away from desk when these activities are not taking place. I can see how that presents a problem. Don't do tasks much longer than the estimated upload/print, etc time.

amother

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 9:55 am

kb wrote:

Imo, if you can't do more work because of the work you're doing, that's billable. But can't you work while a different file is printing?

My litmus test: if I was working in an office building and my boss could see me, would he complain that I'm wasting company time? If yes, it's not billable.

I mentioned printing. For me I really need the papers. Almost everything is based on the papers. Usually, I can do about 30 seconds worth of work w/o the papers. I don't like pulling the papers out early either b/c it can mess up the order and then I will have to spend more time sorting it.

I like your second point. Only, I strongly believe there is a difference. When I worked in the office, we were allowed to do officely things like make a coffee, say good morning to a colleague, wash and bench and quickly answer any very important phone calls. If we had to sit like robots, the office would be unpleasnt and the morale would go down. My boss understood that.

At home is a different story. There is no need for an officely environment. It is you, the work and the computer. The boss is not expecting that you will be taking a min. break to sooth a crying baby (the same amount of time as your child's babysitter/school calling to explain that your DC is sick.) You do not need to be friendly. When you are on your own honor's system, you also have to be much more careful especially b/c no1 is going to scold you.

curlyhead

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 3:31 pm

Quote:

PostPosted: Tue, Dec 30 2014, 12:26 am Post subject: re: How do I work out billable time?
Also, ftr, three minutes and three minutes and three minutes... doesn't compare to a solid hour. Yes, you're working from home, but you should, imo, be devoting solid amounts of time to work do you can actually get things done! Every time you stop and start work again, you're wasting more time!!

If I sit in front of computer waiting for small upload I end up charging alot more as I am sitting and waiting. If you do too many uplaods at once it goes really slow and many times ends up not uploading. I could sit waiting for 10 min and surf but I will charge more. I dont always have more work to do which. The nature of the work is that is take time to save, compress videos and time to upload videos. we are talking about 1h long videos. I am not wasting time but actually saving the client billable time.
If it is this type of work could I charge more because it is work which can not be do one in one sitting. I can not say I'll spend 1 h. it takes 4h but actaully get 1h of sittingin front of computer. Yesterday I tried doing too many things at once and it was a waste of time as it made everything really slow and did not end up getting done. Its like doing a load of laundry - 5-10 min to sort and throw in washer, change over to dryer, take out and fold - takes 2 hours but actual work is 20 min

Mon, Dec 29 2014, 4:38 pm

If I hire you to clean my house and do my laundry, and you sit on Facebook until the washer finished so you can move everything to the dryer, then sit on Facebook for another hour until the dryer finishes, and then fold everything, and THEN spend two hours cleaning my house, and charge me for a total of five hours of time, I will fire you.

But if I hired you just to do my laundry, and I have someone else to clean my house, then it would be legitimate for you to charge me for the two hours you say around doing nothing, even if you spent that time on Facebook.

Unfortunately, I do my own laundry, and no one pays me...)