So I changed the time_accounting.time_unit field to decimal(4,2) and added the following to Kernel/Config.pm:
 
$Self->{FrontendNeedAccountedTime} = 1;
$Self->{TimeUnits} = ' (hours)';
The time is only getting recorded as an integer still though.  IE if I enter 0.25 for the time unit field on a reply 0.00 gets stored in the DB.  If I enter 1.25 1.00 gets stored in the DB.
 
What else do I need to change?  On my live 1.3.1 I only changed the time_accounting.time_unit field to decimal(4,2) and it stores the time properly.  I did not modify the Config.pm with the above two lines on the production server.
 
- Pete McDonnell
  Manager, Technical Services
  Hip Interactive
 

From: Pete McDonnell
Sent: Tuesday, February 01, 2005 4:13 PM
To: User questions and discussions about OTRS.
Subject: [otrs] Time Accounting

I dug up the following from an old 2003 post on this list.  Just wondering if it'll still work the same on version 1.3.1 and newer versions?  Still haven't upgraded the production server to 1.3.2.
 
__SNIP__
You can set a config option to force time accounting
("$Self->{FrontendNeedAccountedTime} = 1;") and a option to defined the time
format name (" $Self->{TimeUnits} = ' (work units)';") -=> e. g.
"$Self->{TimeUnits} = ' (hours)';".
__SNIP__

- Pete McDonnell
  Manager, Technical Services
  Hip Interactive
  Phone: (519) 272-0234 x228
   "What the large print giveth, the small print taketh away.” - Anonymous