Getting disciplined at work for missing billable hours targets
Missing annual charge hour goals can trigger formal performance management issues, leaving employees worried about getting fired. Falling behind on timesheets and having difficult conversations with department heads only adds to the pressure.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Leaving the firm for a different employerDid this help you?
- 2Working extra hours to meet targetsDid this help you?
- 3Seeking guidance from peers and forums about performance metricsDid this help you?
- 4eating timeDid this help you?
- 5asking the best performers on the team for tips and adviceDid this help you?
- 6Billing all hours to one client in one dayDid this help you?
- 7Ignoring stress over billable targets knowing the firm will likely write off the unworkable timeDid this help you?
- 8Looking for a new job or questioning whether this practice is common in the industryDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The department head told them that being that much below the charge hour goal was a “Performance issue.””source ↗
“It does not seem THAT much of a “miss.” Seems pretty harsh IMO.”source ↗
“My company forces people to use sick days or PTO.”source ↗
“for the remaining 10h they chase you to and questioning you why I haven’t applied for PTO for the missing hours.”source ↗
“The only issue? My skills.”source ↗
“I blew budgets left and right, taking incredibly long on everything.”source ↗
“I am not sure if I am going to be fired after this busy season, and I also don't want to start applying and get caught, which would seal my fate, as the people here are very well connected.”source ↗
“I am trying my very best, and that is what pisses me off even more that I suck this bad.”source ↗
“Not sure if it’s a mistake but they put me on 50 billable hours on my first week in office.”source ↗
“Is this physically possible for a first time employee?”source ↗
“What happens if I have 60% at big 4?”source ↗
“I need help and guidance.”source ↗
“However i didn't filled in the timesheet for a month.”source ↗
“Today got a call from one of my colleagues telling me that I shouldn't have been so blunt about it like you should never say "I don't remember" .”source ↗
“What if I get fired for not doing enough.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to tell management a deadline is impossible
- 3Why am I spending all my time on admin instead of billable work?
- 6Should I log my actual hours worked or underreport them?
- 2Why am I penalized for working during planning periods?
- 2How to fix missed lunch punches on timesheets
- 11Why are teachers losing planning periods and lunch breaks?