Is it normal Law jobs to have to time everything you do?

[purpleplatypus2022]

Recently started a new job in the legal sector. The job's great but we have to time everything we do - literally there's a programme you have to click little timers on and off and put a description of everything you do.

I've never had to do this any previous role - closest was when I did a summer job in a factory and had to clock in and out on one of those old time-stamp machines. Tbh I feel like I'm being treated like a child. Everyone else here seem just used to it and not bothered. Bosses say it's be able to bill the clients correctly though I can't help but feel it's at least as much to keep tabs on what we're doing etc.

Is this normal practice in the legal sector??

It has filtered down to smaller firms (as described by PPs) but they are not nearly as ruthless about squeezing as much juice out of the timesheet data as they can and routinely write off relatively larger proportions.

Normal in PR too, and anywhere billable by the hour to clients.

I felt the same as you when I started and tbh I still hate it, and my time feels much less free than in previous in-house roles, but I no longer feel monitored or babied by it. In my company they do review the timesheets but no one is ever called up on it – “I see here on 1 June 2022 you spent 35 minutes on admin vs your usual 27 minutes”. It’s more used to project future capacity and spot where tasks take longer than anticipated.

It's standard in list of consulting roles. You get used to it.

Yes for billing purposes. Professional services and most consulting firms do the same.

Hmm I think it depends on your role.

What is your job? It’s normal for fee earners to need to do this but judging by your surprise at having to record time in order to bill clients, I wonder if you’re not a fee earner.

Yes, perfectly normal in professional services where clients are billed by time.

Not just larger firms either. I've always worked in pretty small firms. My first job was in a tiny father/son accountancy practice with just a handful of staff, but we always did time sheets, down to 6 minute units as others have said.

How else can you bill on a "time spent" basis if you don't keep time sheets?

Even "non fee earners" are usually charged out. In all the firms I've worked at, the typists have recorded time spent on typing a letter, typing a set of accounts, photocopying, filing, etc.

If you look at the liquidators report of a firm in liquidation, they show all the charge out rates for literally every kind of work they may do, including all the admin support work.

It's usually only time that isn't actually "on a client" that isn't recorded/charged, such as brewing up, raiding the stationery cupboard, etc.

Interesting. I have worked in places historically where the same hour would be booked to multiple clients. Presumably this would prevent that?

Sometimes they provide desktop apps to help ease billing/timekeeping

Yes it's normal practice - the lawyers I work with have to record each 8 minute-block of their time! Hideous isn't it - I'm so pleased I'm I'm a support function!
And people think it's easy in the private sector....

It's the worst bit of private practice but unfortunately totally normal. I've been a lawyer for 20 years and still hate it. I once did an awful secondment to an in-house role and the only good thing about it was the lack of time sheets!

People working in professional services don't make anything so the only thing they have to sell is their time.

This reminds me of one of the reasons why I no longer work in litigation! I used to have clients, QCs etc phone up for a "chat" and the first thing they would say is turn off the meter. It was a nightmare.