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Busy season bulking isn’t from eating snacks, it’s from eating all those hours
I charge every hour I work. What a concept
You shouldn’t be eating hours. It perpetuates the under budgeted issue.
What do you have to gain by eating actual hours? I really don't get this. Yes, partners will take a slight hit, but it hurts the team in the long run. I get cutting hours if you take frequent breaks or aren't working on client work, but you're honestly just stupid if you eat client related hours. Next years team will be fucked.
Really happy to read replies from people reiterating the importance of charging every hour worked. It's truly critical for the process in many many ways. And as pointed out, one of the most important factors is to drive accurate information to support the members of the team. Too many benefits to list here. There are numerous previous threads.
If someone is pressuring you to eat time, they are an ineffective leader and they need counseling. And if they are on my team they wont last long if they dont change.
Let me ask you... you truly don't think your team is eating hours? Have you not really done the same or heard anybody had done through your career?
"the budget is so unrealistic" - yes, the budget is unrealistic because the people setting the budget don't have sufficient oversight of the time required because last year's team didn't charge their hours... See the issue?
OP: by eating hours, YOU are contributing to the issue. If you think this is an issue, DO something about it - charge your time. Otherwise, you will have to eat even more hours next year.
Why are you saying you will be eating more hours next year?
Hmm yelled at for eating hours or being way over budget neither one is fun
Never ever eat hours especially if you actually worked them. It is highly unethical and can be illegal (e.g working for federal clients).
If anything, the extra hours you worked needs to be tracked somehow even if it’s on an excel workbook. Give the report to your supervisor at least on a monthly basis to let them be aware. That way it can be factored into your performance evaluation, etc.
By eating hours all my managers love me for coming in on budget and there are no write offs. As long as you are above the median utilization
Worked all day today to meet deadline and will be charging to EY connect day...
I’m fairly new to big4 so I’ll charge whereever they tell me but I have all my detailed time saved so if I ever get questioned on my hours I will be sure to provide a detailed list and tell them who told me to charge a nonbillable code
I. Do. Not. Eat. Hours. Period.
And if you do then you’re doing a disservice to yourself AND the company.
You need to watch your hours. If you’re halfway through your budgeted hours but not even close to halfway through performing the work, then you need to stop and ask for help.
You also need to make the senior/manager aware that it’s taking you longer than you’re budgeted for. Then they can reassess and increase the budget or step in and help if they have to.
The budget is unrealistic because people are unrealistic about how long something actually took them to do.
Pls elaborate when you are saying you disservice for the company.
Everyone knows that budgets are unrealistic because your expected to do more work in less time, and the BS reason upper management tells themselves this is possible is through outsourcing and new technology. But no one accounts for the technology not working or the learning curve for using all these tools. Also outsourcing only gets you so far, depending on how good your team is. And don't get me started on changing approach with new team members. Then you book your hours and come in over budget, you get crappy reviews by pissed off people held accountable to a prior year budget baseline. If I'm gonna bust my ass, I'm gonna get paid for my time. If eating hours on a timesheet does it, I'm gonna do it.
And this is why we have a problem ^ there’s incentive to eat hours when you know it’s going to make your team love you and in turn affect your annual rating and related raise and bonus
Agreed..
I don't eat hours. I'm a senior and if budget is over the leaders are the ones who have explaining to do, not me. If they bend over to partners and agree to such budgets then they deserve to have to explain and be given a hard time on my behalf. Love it
I charge everything i work. Only missed budget once in five years but that was due to PCAOB. If you miss budget it’s a team wide issue. Manager and senior manager can’t budget. Staff and senior not executing
Sounds like a pissed off senior
All firms have a no time-eating policy. It's hard, but better to learn early in your career how to communicate budget overages, ask for help and persuade mgmt for higher bdgt. Better to take the time for quality and appropriate billing/costing than eat hours.
Think about non-PA jobs. If you were building a house, would you cut corners just to be in budget? Would you not take time to measure because it's not in the budget? Would you be able to tell the family of the house that their house is safe? It's time to be an adult and make the hard, but right, decision.
I’ve been yelled at for charging too much, not charging enough, too much nonbillable vs billable time. Generally, you can’t win but the times I get yelled at for blowing budgets go a lot better than when my utilization is 70% but I’m questioned on why I have 30hrs of PD each week. I can’t even not book the time because when I tried that I was asked why I had 40 hours a week but was in the office until midnight everyday. Just charge your time, no ones been fired for blowing a budget