Time Leakage
What does the meeting buffer cost over 20 years?
The Meeting Buffer
10 minutes, 288 times/year, 20 years — the long-term cost is 960 hours.
How the number's built.
The meeting buffer feels like a small interruption. At 10 minutes across 288 occurrences a year, it becomes 960 hours over 20 years.
If you changed one thing
Half the pattern stays.
480 hours return.
No rush. It keeps until you want it.
A way through
cutting the pattern in half
24.0 hours/year returned
× 20 years = 480 hours returned
The Math
10 minutes / occurrence
288 occurrences / year = 48.0 hours/year
× 20 years = 960 hours
Assumptions
- Each occurrence lasts 10 minutes.
- 288 occurrences happen each year.
- Timeline spans 20 years.
- The calculation counts calendar time, not whether the time was useful.
The arithmetic of meeting buffer
Last reviewed: May 2026.
An estimate built for reflection — not financial, medical, or legal advice. The figures follow the assumptions above.