Short answer: hours logged against retainer hours, by client, checked on day 20 of the month. Anything over 80 percent gets a conversation before month end; anything over 100 percent for two months gets a scope change. Read from Harvest, Streamtime, Toggl or your project tool.
Why it hides
Time is logged late. The retainer's hours are in the contract, not in the tool. The account manager doesn't see the total until invoicing. The overrun is absorbed because the client is nice.
The view
Per client: retainer hours, hours logged month to date, projected month end, last three months' burn. Flagged at 80 and 100 percent with the conversation drafted.
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Written by Christian Stewart, Stewart Systems, Wollongong. Published 2026-09-29. Records and flags, not legal, WHS or insurance advice; rules change, check the regulator for the current one.