[gburt]

Can we speak a little more as to how you indicate that a half day is the minimal billable unit? My clients are happy to pay my high rate but I can't imagine ever suggesting to them that anything but an hour would be the minimal unit at this point.

[hermanhermitage]

I simply tell them billable time for support on old projects is rounded up to 4 hour blocks - this is with or without a retainer / support agreement. This covers switching time (pulling up virtual machines, getting your notes out etc, finding a Windows XP laptop etc), and scheduling it into current work schedule. I work with the client to ensure we gather work into 4 hour blocks where possible (eg. get them to build a todo list in Jira or equivalent). The idea is to avoid death by 1000 cuts - ie dribs and drabs of 1 hour jobs that they call thru at random.

[mikecane]

Did you know that temp agencies for office staff -- receptionists, AAs, clerks, WP -- have a four-hour minimum too? WP can get as high at $25/hr for third-shift legal.