A question of ethics in billing hours for those who work in billable hours / professional field.?

Please, only those who bill by the hour answer.

I work doing something between consulting and engineering for the biopharm field. I am salaried by my company. We charge clients on an hourly basis for projects. Right now I am in-between projects but have done a little bit of work on two projects. My boss has asked that I bill those projects even though I'm not really doing work on them. This is so we still get paid and his numbers look better (not explicitly saying this.)

I'm trying CYA as much as possible. He even told me to bill these projects in front of coworkers, which is good.

Should I just let it fall on his head? Rid myself of guilt? He will have to explain the hours or reimburse the hours if a client has a problem.??? Maybe this is common in the field?

I don't like doing it but I also want a job. My closest fellow employee was laid off recently, mainly because he wasn't getting any billable hours.

For the first time in my life, I'm coming down with migraines.

It's not double-billing. I looked that up. (Yeah, I've seen The Firm).

Yeah, I think I can 'assauge' my guilt by thinking about all the expenses I don't get reimbursed for. Miles, meals, office supplies, working from home. One place doesn't even provide an internet connection and a place to sit down. I have to go to McDonald's or the library to work on other projects and check the internet. My dad would say: "It all evens out"

do minor work on the project to assuage your guilt. either that or do the ethical thing and NOT do it. if he has a boss take it to him or the client. either way, you should try and figure out which is more important: your job or your morals.

This happens more often than you think. I couldn't wait to get away from that environment. The last place I worked with this in place wanted you to account for your time in 10 minute intervals. The PC kept track. I think that was the last straw.

John Grisham in his novel the "Firm" the cops nailed the bad guys on this. Phony billing is felony mail fraud. Bwaa haha.