Labor Codes

Every timesheet entry can be attached to a specific labor code (or "category"). Most firms see the labor code as a short hand for notes (e.g. - it indicates the type of work that was done), but it has functionality that notes don't provide.

• Labor Codes can be linked to a specific service item in QuickBooks. So, if you decide to post timesheet detail into QuickBooks, the service item is filled in based on your user's labor code selection.
• Labor Codes can be sorted/grouped in all of the screens and reports that deal with timesheet detail. So (unlike a simple note), you can see a total number of hours you've spent on a specific aspect of a project.
• Billing rates can be tied to the labor code a user selects, so your invoicing engine can use those rates to determine what rate the hours should be invoiced at. That's called "activity rate billing" and it's covered in the Invoicing chapter(s) of the System Guide or online help.

BigTime ships with a default set of labor codes, depending on the industry you are in, and you can update that list of codes from the Tools...System Settings...Labor Codes screen.

Service Items. If you're using QuickBooks to track time, then you may already have a set of service items that your users pick from when they enter their time. You can overwrite your BigTime labor codes with your QuickBooks service items by clicking on that action item in the information box on the System Settings...Labor Codes screen.