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The Workplace

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  • If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all.
    – enderland
    Commented Sep 14, 2017 at 17:54
  • 19
    I generally bill for anything that I would normally do if I was working as an employee in the office. Bathroom break? Billed. Starbucks break? Billed. Any time I'm even thinking about work, billed. Lunch break? Iffy - if it's just a sandwich at my desk, billed. If it's a 3hr boozy brunch, not billed. It also depends how demand the work is. If you are low rate hamburger flipper with punch cards, they care about smoke breaks and the like. If you are world class surgeon, they are more lenient as you are harder to replace.
    – Chloe
    Commented Sep 14, 2017 at 21:23
  • 12
    Obligatory Dilbert: dilbert.com/strip/1995-09-15
    – Perkins
    Commented Sep 14, 2017 at 23:58
  • 2
    As an alternate, ask the partner firm to give a fixed price/date for achieving what you want. Then you don't have to bother with such details.
    – happybuddha
    Commented Sep 15, 2017 at 1:04
  • I sometimes find it more pragmatic not to bill such constructive breaks; but definitely bill higher for the rest.
    – Marc.2377
    Commented Sep 15, 2017 at 5:21