This role-play tests whether the VA will follow ethical billing rules under pressure, especially in a lower-authority position. Employers need assurance that the VA will not falsify records even when an attorney asks, because that can trigger disbarment and client loss.
Respond with respect but firm accuracy. Ask for clarification and offer to record only the time actually spent, then suggest the attorney may have additional tasks to review.
Start by thanking the attorney for the instruction, then state plainly that your time log shows only twenty minutes of work on that research. Frame it as a simple accuracy check rather than an accusation, something like, "I want to make sure I log this correctly, so could you point me to the additional work you'd like me to capture?" This gives the attorney a graceful way to correct themselves or clarify that they meant a different task, without forcing you to accuse them of anything. If they insist on the full hour and a half, hold your ground gently but firmly, explaining that you are happy to log the actual twenty minutes and that inflating the time could create problems for both of you if the client ever audits the bill. Remember that in the Philippine BPO context, many attorneys work across time zones and may be rushing at end of day, so their request might stem from genuine confusion about what you did, not malice. Offer a concrete alternative, such as logging the twenty minutes now and checking if they have follow-up tasks you can complete to justify the remaining time, which keeps the relationship cooperative while protecting your integrity and their license.
A common mistake is to say 'Sige po, sorry po' and just enter the inflated time to avoid conflict. Instead, say: 'I want to keep the billing accurate. My records show 20 minutes, so I can log that. Could you clarify if there was additional work I missed?' This protects you and the attorney.
Situation
In my previous role as a virtual assistant for a solo practitioner, I was asked to input time entries from the attorney's written notes.
Task
I needed to respond respectfully but accurately when an attorney asked me to record more time than I actually worked.
Action
I replied privately, saying: 'I want to make sure the entry is accurate. My call log shows the research took 20 minutes this morning. I can log 0.4 hours or 0.3 depending on your rounding policy, but I cannot log 1.5 hours because that did not happen.' I offered to review the task with the attorney in case there was additional follow-up work I was not aware of.
Result
The attorney clarified that he had meant to include a separate 1.5-hour task from another day, so I logged the correct entries once I had the details. The firm later created a written policy that all time entries must reflect actual time worked.
Politely push back on inaccurate billing and ask for clarification before entering time.
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