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If I'm working on something for them, I'll charge work hours as normal, but if I'm not, I don't. That was the rule when I was at large consultancies also, and it seems like the ethical thing to do.
Rising Star
👆🏼 This is the answer. Charging travel time for the sake of doing so is a quick path to not being contracted.
Clients do not have open checkbooks. If they have you budgeted for 40, you charge 40. If they are abusing it (weekend work, consistent late nights, etc.) you have a discussion. Nickel and dining rarely works…:
Yep it is about no surprises. If I budget 40 and you bill 40 and turn in work of good quality when we agreed I’m never going to ask where the hours were done, or if you have another client.
If it’s a travel job you just make sure the rate is high enough to get what you need out of 40.
The amount of headache finding out 8 weeks into a job that some person was blowing out the budget charging more than 40 is usually enough to can that contractor and if I’m using an agency they’ll be lucky to salvage it.
Chief
I’m not a contractor , but I was at one point. And I assume this is about independent contracting and not a FT consulting job. Are you asking if you can charge commute time or airplane time to client ?
I did , because those hours were incurred because of the project. In some cases, they were explicitly mentioned in the contract- expenses and hours will be billable (if it was a fixed fee) . In other it was explicitly stated the other way (if it was T&M)
I don’t bill for travel time per se, but if I’m on the toilet in the middle of the night and I’m thinking about your project, that’s billable.
Only if you are working during that travel time, which is probably at most a couple of hours on the plane or in a lounge.
Interesting question.