Has anyone figured out how to deal with utilization problems? Been working 60-70 hrs last two weeks but can only charge 40. What's the solution here?

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Charge the full 60-70 or tell them you refuse to work over 40. Would also suggest going to your RP

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firms official policy is to never eat hours or undercharge. they should have a PD code for you to out hours onto if the client can't afford it, but it needs to be raised so someone knows your manager or director doesn't know how to budget a project...

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Just make sure you're working 60-70 because the project wasn't scoped properly and not because you're inexperienced, unfamiliar with the industry/project type, etc.

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Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it unless it keeps happening. With any project there are going to be super busy weeks and other slow weeks and they tend to balance out to an avg of 40 hours per week in the long run

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Is it even ethical?

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Agreed, fellow pwc'er, if your manager or senior is telling you to eat time, give them a heads up that you know policy is to charge all hours and you want to be recognized for all your hours so you will charge them. They know that if it got up to partner, they're the ones that would get in trouble.

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Leave it to KPMG to give horrible advice...

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Agree with the others. If you're really having to work that much, someone is mismanaging your project. You need to be working less and billing more.

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Tell your partner to drop his margin and to view the project an investment in future work. I've thrown many a manager under the bus to HR for making me eat hours. The team has always been relieved and it ends up being a good thing.

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^ must be nice to not consistently hit 40 hours before Friday...

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Thanks guys, will reach out to my RP about this

And I bet everyone charges less than 40 when he or she has an appointment on a Friday.

It is nice to have projects appropriately scoped

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