Harvest
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Bench Time Calculator

Harvest is a time tracking and invoicing tool that helps teams and freelancers manage their workload effectively, minimizing revenue loss from bench time.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

Understanding Bench Time in Consulting

Bench time, in a professional context, refers to periods when employees are not assigned to billable client projects but remain on the company's payroll. This can pose a significant challenge for consulting firms as it directly impacts revenue and resource efficiency. The primary causes of bench time include project conflicts, skill gaps, and fluctuating client demand. Understanding and managing bench time is crucial for maintaining a healthy utilization rate, which is the percentage of an employee's available work time spent on productive tasks.

For consulting firms, a healthy utilization rate typically ranges from 65% to 85%, varying by role and industry. For core contributors, average utilization is 75–85%, while project managers and leaders often range from 60–75% and 50–70%, respectively. However, sustaining utilization above 85% can lead to burnout and turnover. In 2024, industry-wide billable utilization fell to 68.9%, highlighting the need for better bench management strategies.

The Financial Impact of Bench Time

Bench time can significantly affect a firm's bottom line. For a typical 100-person consulting firm operating at the industry average utilization, the gap to achieve the 75% target can represent over €1.3 million in unrecovered revenue annually. This financial strain is compounded by hidden operational costs such as decreased employee morale, increased turnover, and lost client relationships. For instance, consultants with more than three weeks of consecutive bench time exhibit 40% higher turnover rates.

The cost of replacing a consultant can range from 50% to 150% of their annual salary, including recruitment, onboarding, and ramp-up time. Thus, minimizing bench time not only boosts revenue but also reduces these hidden costs, enhancing overall firm profitability. Recent trends show a decline in revenue per consultant from $207,000 to $199,000 in 2024, underscoring the urgent need for effective bench time management strategies.

Strategies for Managing Bench Time Effectively

To manage bench time effectively, firms must focus on optimizing their utilization rates while ensuring employee well-being. Keeping the utilization rate healthy, between 65% and 85%, is essential. Overworking employees with a rate above 85% can lead to burnout, which is counterproductive. It is crucial to balance workload and provide opportunities for skill development during bench time to keep employees engaged and ready for future projects.

An effective strategy involves using predictive analytics to anticipate project demands and align workforce capabilities accordingly. Firms should also encourage cross-training and upskilling during bench periods, which can reduce skill gaps and make employees more adaptable. Additionally, maintaining open communication with employees about their career paths and involving them in decision-making can enhance morale and reduce the likelihood of turnover.

Optimize Bench Time with Harvest

Explore how Harvest's time tracking features help manage bench time and optimize team utilization effectively.

Screenshot of Harvest's time tracking tool showing bench time management features.

Bench Time Calculator FAQs

  • Bench time in consulting refers to periods when employees are not assigned to billable client projects but remain on the company's payroll. It affects utilization rates and revenue.

  • Bench time leads to unrecovered revenue, direct losses, and hidden costs like decreased morale. For example, a 100-person firm can lose over €1.3 million annually due to suboptimal utilization.

  • A healthy utilization rate for consulting firms typically ranges from 65% to 85%, depending on the role. It's crucial to avoid rates above 85% to prevent employee burnout.

  • Extended bench time can increase turnover rates. Consultants with over three weeks of bench time show 40% higher turnover rates, increasing replacement costs for firms.

  • Strategies include optimizing utilization rates, using predictive analytics for demand forecasting, and upskilling employees during bench periods to reduce skill gaps.

  • Harvest offers one-click timers and detailed reporting to track billable and non-billable hours, helping teams manage their workload and reduce bench time effectively.

  • Yes, Harvest integrates with Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and more, allowing seamless time tracking and project management across platforms.