Timesheet Approval Workflow

Overview

Timesheet approval workflows define the process by which time entries are reviewed and validated before being used for billing, payroll, or project cost tracking, ensuring accuracy while maintaining efficiency.

Standard Workflow Steps

1. Employee Submission

• Employee completes and submits timesheet
• By defined deadline (typically Friday EOD)
• Certification of accuracy

2. Manager Review

• Manager receives notification
• Reviews for reasonableness and proper categorization
• Verifies project allocations
• Checks for policy compliance

3. Approval or Rejection

• Approve if accurate
• Reject with comments if issues found
• Request clarification if needed
• Typical SLA: 48 hours

4. Issue Resolution

• Employee corrects rejected entries
• Discusses discrepancies with manager
• Resubmits for re-review

5. Final Processing

• Approved time locks for editing
• Flows to billing/payroll systems
• Included in reports and analytics

Approval Criteria

Managers Verify:

• Hours are reasonable for work completed
• Correct projects and tasks assigned
• Billable vs non-billable designation appropriate
• Overtime properly documented
• Time entries align with known work

Red Flags:

• Suspiciously round numbers
• Identical entries every day
• All time in single category
• Exceeding project budget significantly
• Patterns inconsistent with deliverables

Best Practices

• Clear SLAs: Define approval timeline
• Notification System: Auto-alert managers
• Mobile Approval: Enable on-the-go review
• Bulk Actions: Approve multiple at once
• Delegation: Backup approvers for absences
• Feedback Loop: Discuss patterns, not just errors

Technology Support

Modern systems offer:

• Automated routing to correct approver
• Email/app notifications
• One-click approval for clean timesheets
• Comment threads for discussion
• Approval history and audit trails
• Escalation for overdue approvals

Common Issues

• Managers don't review promptly (delays payroll/billing)
• Rubber-stamp approval without real review
• Overly strict review creating bottleneck
• Lack of clear rejection criteria
• No feedback to employees on patterns

Metrics

• Approval rate (% approved first time)
• Time to approval (submission to approval)
• Rejection rate and reasons
• Late submission rate
• Manager approval compliance

Integration Points

• Approved time → Payroll system
• Approved billable time → Invoicing
• All approved time → Project costing
• Approval data → Compliance reporting