Build an Australian time budget
First follow the global billable-utilisation guide. Use the Australian sources only to establish a relevant starting boundary, then enter business-specific non-billable work and demand assumptions.
Billable utilisation = billable hours ÷ available hours
- billable hours
- hours expected to be charged to customers in the period (hours) — user scenario
- available hours
- working hours after consistently removing unavailable time (hours) — verified local start plus user records
State whether leave and other unavailable time are removed from the denominator. Do not remove the same hours twice.
| Layer | Include | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Scoped legal start | Relevant ordinary hours and leave position | Applicable award/agreement and official sources |
| Operational availability | Public holidays, training, administration, sales and internal work | Business calendar and time records |
| Billable demand | Hours expected to be sold and delivered | Pipeline, bookings and scenario assumptions |
Example: from sourced hours to an editable scenario
Assume, only for this scenario, an award-and-agreement-free full-time pattern of 38 hours a week and the scoped four-week non-shiftworker annual-leave start.
| Step | Hours | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Gross annual hours | 1,976 | 38 × 52 |
| Annual leave hours | 152 | 38 × 4 |
| Hours before other deductions | 1,824 | 1,976 − 152 |
Review triggers and next decision
- Verify award or agreement coverage and the actual work pattern before using the scoped 38-hour start. (not complete)
- Verify the person’s leave position before using the four-week non-shiftworker start. (not complete)
- Use one denominator convention and document every deduction. (not complete)
- Compare planned billable hours with actual time records at the next review. (not complete)
- Recheck the DataHub record when the dependency version changes. (not complete)
Frequently asked questions
- Is 38 hours the correct weekly input for every Australian worker?
- No. The verified figure is a scoped award-and-agreement-free full-time starting point. Awards, agreements, part-time patterns and other circumstances can change the relevant input.
- Should four weeks simply be subtracted from billed hours?
- Treat leave consistently in the denominator first. Then model non-billable work and demand separately. Subtracting the same absence from available and billable hours can double count it.
Sources checked
- Margin101 DataHub: annual leave planning weeks — Margin101
- Margin101 DataHub: award-free ordinary weekly hours — Margin101
- Annual leave — Fair Work Ombudsman: Primary employment-condition context for non-billable time assumptions, not a universal utilisation rate.
- Award- and agreement-free conditions — Fair Work Ombudsman: Primary employment-condition context; award coverage must be checked for the actual worker.