Timesheets

[sobrique]

OK, so I was grumbling about timesheets on my previous post.
I'm thinking about why I don't like them. Especially in our current situation, where they're for 'efficiency analysis'.

I think it boils down to two things.

1/ They never bothered to ask any of the people doing the job, where time is wasted un-necessarily. I mean, seriously. I can understand why you might want to streamline what we're doing. I can understand why you might want to analyse. But you're essentially treating all your employees as data-loggers, rather than thinking adults who could TELL YOU if you were just bothered enough to ask.

2/ Filling in forms full of numbers, is what computers are good at. Indeed, what they're fundamentally designed to do. Computers are not very clever, but they count very quick, and have a lot of fingers. They are tools, that can be driven by a human, who figures out how to do this finger counting, and sets the computer on that task. To therefore take the human, and then get them to do what the computer could do SO MUCH BETTER is not just boring, it's actively wasteful.

Oh well. I get to start filling in that timesheet tomorrow. That will be fun.

Comments

[warmage.livejournal.com]

Instead of logging your time in hours and seconds, you could log your time as a function of the cost of the consultancy or department that has put forth the idea that has given rise to your new time-sheet-overlords...

"Today I performed work equivalent to %.0005C (where C is the projected cost of your 'efficiency-analysis' endeavour.)"

...then again, maybe you like your job.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

I was very tempted to email approximately the above to the 'Project Sponsor' who is a directory-type-dude.

[warmage.livejournal.com]

You'd likely have to walk him through the math anyway.

[zaitan.livejournal.com]

Another alternative time record could be between unix time stamps.

Between 1215596251 and 1215596423 I was picking my nose.

[odd-perspective.livejournal.com]

With this it's also fun and makes the whole process more pointless to log on the time sheet the amount of time you spend filling in the time sheet.

Then, when asked how you can make your time more productive you can highlight the amount of time it takes to complete the time sheets.

[linamishima.livejournal.com]

Actually, that's a fair idea. If they are asking you to account for everything you do, then indeed you should do ask they ask!

[necessitysslave.livejournal.com]

Is the timesheet printable (ie can you create something that will allow you to print the time sheet already filled in when you finish a shift?)