Cons to the Billable Hour

When I talk about billing time,

no one comes to the defense of the billable hour.

When I mentioned my firm's now 1900 billable-hour requirement,

people commented, surprised.

I know more of you here, on LinkedIn bill your time than talk about it.

I've shared how I make it work.

I've shared how it can help you manage your time better.

But, let's give in:

What are the cons to the billable hour?

I'll go first:

😕 It's not applied uniformly across practice areas or firms, meaning it's easier to acquire hours for some than others.

😕 It's not something you can control, especially in the beginning: associates don't choose who gives them work or how long that work takes.

😕 It becomes the priority and focus, ahead of other life-giving or practice-sustaining things (self-care, exercise, learning, networking, client and business development).

😕 It encourages exaggerated (and/or double) billing.

Your turn.