Slightly OT: Accounting for time question

[Catadmin]

So you've got a list of things to do (Update some data, do a backup, restore to another server, shrink a database, do some ad-hoc reports, run Profiler on a query execution, etc.) and the boss expects it all done in a day. Doesn't sound bad, but when HR comes knocking on your door, wanting you to justify all the time you're sitting at your desk, and wanting it in minute, exacting detail (second by second), how exactly do you account for it?

For instance, when Profiler is running for 2 hours, do you sit and watch it for anything strange or are you working on your reports while Profiler is sitting in another window on your desktop? If the later, how much time of that 2 hours do you count towards "Business Support" (running Profiler) and how much do you count towards "Report Building"?

I'm just curious what other people's habits are.

It seems every time I turn around, HR keeps adding projects to our timecards and they don't seem to be able to understand the concept of multi-tasking. If I counted, literally, the amount of time it took to run a ShrinkDatabase command while also counting the amount of time it took me to research a data problem (doing both at nearly the same time like the above example), I'd be logging much more then the 8 physical hours a day I'm actually sitting at my desk.

Anyway, answer if you don't mind throwing your hat in the ring. As I said, this is mainly "It's finally Friday" curiosity after a week of working on so many projects at once my head feels like it's going to explode. @=)



Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"No, no. Yes. No, I tried that. Yes, both ways. No, I don't know. No again. Are there any more questions?"
-- Xena, "Been There, Done That"

 

[SQLBill]

If the command is a 'launch and forget', then I don't count the time in between starting it and checking the final results. But if it's something I have to 'nurse' along or respond to, then I count the full time. Sometimes things overlap, but people don't always understand that.

I was multitasking and a boss asked me how these two projects were coming and how much time I spent on each that day. I told him I was working on them at the same time and had spent x hours so far. He said I can't spend the same moment on each so I have to split it up. My response was "I'm working on both at the same time, so my time on each is the same." He wasn't happy with that and I told him "Okay. I will stop all work on Project 2 until Project 1 is finished since I can't work on both at the same time." He eventually saw the light.

-SQLBill

Posting advice: FAQ481-4875

 

[yetanotherjo]

I do contract work so justifying my time is quite important. Having said that though, I find that with all my clients just having a broad description of what I've been doing with a block of time is generally sufficient and I'll add comments to my work notes if anything needed extra time for problem solving etc.

I also multitask where possible and this often means setting something running remotely on one client's database while doing something labour intensive on another. In this case, I just charge the time I'm actually personally involved in each. If I'm working with a single client and the job for some reason precludes doing anything else while it's processing, I charge the full time I have to wait, but this is rare.

 

[mrdenny]

At my last job we had to justfy every minute of every day so that the business units could be charged back for the time spend on there projects.

As I was always multi tasking on at least two projects I was putting down well over 8 hours at a time. Managment loved this because fo every 8 hours that I was in the building I was billing the business for 12-16 hours (sometimes working on up to 4 projects at a time).

They wanted to know to the 15 minutes what you were working on through out the day, so there was a lot of overlap.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005) / MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[yetanotherjo]

Hey Denny. How much time did you book to admin for filling out 15 minute timesheets lol.

 

[mrdenny]

If only it was that easy. I book the time filling out the time sheets to a the projects.

It was time managment gone nuts.

Denny
MCSA (2003) / MCDBA (SQL 2000) / MCTS (SQL 2005) / MCITP Database Administrator (SQL 2005)

--Anything is possible. All it takes is a little research. (Me)

http://www.mrdenny.com

 

[Catadmin]

Our timesheet is also set up in 15 minute increments, which makes it harder for me to divy things up properly. Again with the "where do I record the 2 minutes I worked on this project" problem. I'm feeling much better, though, seeing everyone else's response to the question. Especially regarding the multi-tasking thing.

We, unfortunately, don't actually bill our time out to other departments because management feels those departments would freak if they saw "how much IT is getting paid". I don't think we should bill our current pay rate so much as a "see how much trouble you caused entering bad data" rate. @=) Needless to say, my boss laughed, shook his head and told me that wasn't going to happen any time soon. <hee>.



Catadmin - MCDBA, MCSA
"No, no. Yes. No, I tried that. Yes, both ways. No, I don't know. No again. Are there any more questions?"
-- Xena, "Been There, Done That"