Weekly Timesheets

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gibletts

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 27, 2003
Messages
158
How many of you guys have to do a weekly timesheet? I fill one out in 6 minute increments each week, usually by the end of the week I have lost 3 or 4 hours (still at least 90% billable), this lost time is made up of unbillable phone calls, people turning up without appointments, fixing the computer, fixing the photocopier, fixing the car, helping the girls put the trash out etc etc. My employer has a nervous breakdown each Monday Morning when he realises there are these hours of time that he cant recover from anyone. I am interested in how much time everone else manages to account for in an average sort of week. (typed during an unpaid break of course ha!)
 
R

rbh

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Mar 21, 2009
Messages
7,939
Re: Weekly Timesheets

Since most of our work is by the Meter, not piece work or hourly, I do not even worry about lost time for the guys.
And it also helps that I am on site working anyways.
 
B

BeaufortTJustice

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
248
Re: Weekly Timesheets

My employer, in their infinite wisdom, requires us to fill out and turn in our timecards ahead of time. Pay period ends on a Thursday every other week, and our cards have to be completed and turned in by the previous Friday. If we work late between Friday and Thurs, we are S.O.L. It is near impossible to "amend" a timecard once turned in. Probably illegal, but no one will challenge it for fear of retribution.
 
12vMan

12vMan

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 4, 2008
Messages
1,532
Re: Weekly Timesheets

gibletts said:
How many of you guys have to do a weekly timesheet? I fill one out in 6 minute increments each week, usually by the end of the week I have lost 3 or 4 hours (still at least 90% billable), this lost time is made up of unbillable phone calls, people turning up without appointments, fixing the computer, fixing the photocopier, fixing the car, helping the girls put the trash out etc etc. My employer has a nervous breakdown each Monday Morning when he realises there are these hours of time that he cant recover from anyone. I am interested in how much time everone else manages to account for in an average sort of week. (typed during an unpaid break of course ha!)
Click to expand...

We have 'shop time' for a catch all to be able to keep track of these hours. True, you can't charge them to any job in particular but the boss needs to determine a weekly average used for the catch-all account and average out these hours in to the jobs by increasing the rate accordingly, depending on size, so it's accounted for and paid for. Then maybe he can bypass the breakdowns.
 
JB

JB

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Mar 25, 2001
Messages
45,907
Re: Weekly Timesheets

I always had a bit of a bone to pick with being paid by the minute or hour. It has nothing to do with degree of skill or productivity, except that the more skilled and productive sometimes get paid more for the minute or hour.

There was a time when it was common to be paid for an outcome, regardless of how long it took to achieve that outcome. I think that is a far more fair system when outcomes can be objectively measured.

As an engineer, manager, consultant, writer or administrator I was paid for results. Sometimes it took 80 hour weeks to get the desired results and sometimes I spent more time fishing than working.

As an instructor I was paid by the hour, but only because training, development and education are measured by the hour with no regard to the outcomes of skill and knowledge beyond some ridiculously low standard.
 
64osby

64osby

Admiral
Joined
Jul 28, 2009
Messages
6,799
Re: Weekly Timesheets

6 minute increments is very tight, the least I've ever seen is 15min.

We used job costing for tracking all the labor for each project. If the whole week was on one job all those little things went into that job. If there were 3 jobs running that time was divided between them.

We were not billing jobs, but tracking hours to check against allotted labor in bid and providing history for future bids.

Those missing hours are really all part of overhead. If the boss or owner complains about you losing billable time maybe you should suggest that someone be hired to take care of all the small stuff that is not billable.
 
G

gibletts

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Sep 27, 2003
Messages
158
Re: Weekly Timesheets

I have 30 or 40 jobs / clients at any one time on my radar so a 6min increment is handy to pick up those short phone calls etc otherwise I would really be losing some time, heres the really funny part, say for example im down 3hrs in a 40hr week we will have a 1hr meeting to try and find it and bill it to someone (otherwise I get the we may have well sent you fishing for that time speech).... so thats me and my boss and sometimes his PA ie 3 x people @ 1 hr each looking for 3 x lost hours.... the really really funny part is that the time spent doing this will be in nexts weeks timesheet as lost time arrrrggghhh!
 
F

Fishing Dude too

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
May 13, 2011
Messages
1,035
Re: Weekly Timesheets

I have to keep track of what I do in 12 hr shift. Need to account for my time, funny thing is if we get 100% production they think I goof off, if 10% busy all night think I did good. go figure
 
F

FlaCowboy

Ensign
Joined
Dec 8, 2011
Messages
973
Re: Weekly Timesheets

So tell me fellas...how much time do you charge to iBoats? :D

I am salary so I do not have to keep track of hours. I am Sr. Estimator and as long as there is a profit the boss never checks on me...and boy is that a Good Thing :D
 
ajgraz

ajgraz

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
1,858
Re: Weekly Timesheets

6 minute increments? What box do you check if you have to pinch a loaf? :p
 
kenmyfam

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,385
Re: Weekly Timesheets

Salaried here. Only timecard I fill in is for whether I was working that day or not. Back in the day when I was hourly it was 15 minute slots.
 
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