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7 likes and I’ll quit my job today 🤪
Why is LinkedIn even?
Additional Posts in The Work-Life Bowl
Faking it until I make it
What’s everyone drinking right now?
I hate that this is our choice 😢
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Still get paid. Training. BD. Network. Relax. Enjoy your blood pressure back in the normal range.
Yes. I’m just waiting for a player to get injured so that I can take their spot. Hopefully the striker because that’s my main position
Conversation Starter
Yes still get paid. You do admin stuff/network and whatever else u want. Really nice for a bit then gets old. Id say 4 weeks is the bench sweet spot, anything above that and you start losing it.
Rising Star
My first three years at EY I never had a week with less than 40 chargeable hours, then I switched to a group where being on the bench occasionally is normal. Still a very strange concept to me and always makes me anxious.
Are you trying to tell me that Deloitte has 0% bench? Bench people get thrown off the island and starve to death, usually.
Newcomers and people rolling off projects during times when the pipeline is dry will experience the bench, same with low performers that nobody wants to works with. There’s a timing aspect to it- bench is common if your project rolls off end of year and client is taking off for the holidays. I personally love the bench, the longest I’ve ever been on it is 2 weeks- but it’s usually a time to catch up on required trainings, expenses, personal appointments etc. if you’re on it for a long time, you’re usually expected to help with internal initiatives and BD work. Can’t imagine being on it for long periods, probably as boring as it is anxiety inducing for not being billable.
How many years have you been working, OP? Extremely rare to never been in between projects after working more than a few years if your job is project-based.
Nope that’s why we always have at least 2 files going at once
What is considered the bench? 0 hrs? Less than 30 hrs billable a week? Obviously should vary slightly between levels.
I can’t fathom how that goes on for weeks though... aren’t people scared of getting laid off?
Rising Star
Depends. How many times have you worked more than 40hrs/week? Did you get hourly pay beyond your salary? Likely not (I know, there are exceptions, roll with me here..)
You charge 150-180% some weeks, you charge 100% some weeks, you charge 30% some weeks, and when you’re on the bench you charge 0+%. As long as your annual utilization is hitting your target or above, you’re fine
When on the bench, try to stay busy, especially given the current economy - reach out to your network offering to help on pursuits or internal initiatives