Timesheet Approval

This manual provides comprehensive instructions for Team Leaders and Global Administrators to manage the timesheet approval process effectively.

Overview

The timesheet approval system enables authorized personnel to review, approve, reject, or reopen submitted timesheets from team members. This process ensures accurate time tracking and proper project management.

Key capabilities include:

Review and approve multiple submitted timesheets
Reject timesheets with detailed comments for corrections
Reopen approved timesheets when modifications are needed
Filter and search timesheets by project, user, status, and date ranges
View detailed timesheet information and activity history

User Authorization Matrix

Action	Global Administrator	Team Leader	User
View all timesheets	✅	❌	❌
View team timesheets	✅	✅	❌
Approve timesheets	✅	✅	❌
Reject timesheets	✅	✅	❌
Reopen approved timesheets	✅	✅	❌
View timesheet details	✅	✅	❌

Global Administrator : Can approve, reject, or reopen any timesheet in the system regardless of project assignment.

Team Leader : Can only approve, reject, or reopen timesheets for projects where they are assigned as the project leader.

User (Regular User) : Can create, save, and submit timesheets but cannot approve their own or others' timesheets.

Timesheet Approval Process

Team Member Creates Timesheet
- User creates and saves timesheet entries
- Multiple timesheets can be entered for a single day with different time ranges
- Day-level working hours must equal the sum of billable and non-billable hours
Team Member Submits Timesheet
- Individual task-level entries within a timesheet must be submitted
- Timesheet status changes to "Submitted"
- Timesheet becomes available for approval review
Team Leader/Global Administrator Reviews
- Authorized users can view submitted timesheets
- Review timesheet details, hours, and project assignments
- Make approval decisions based on accuracy and completeness
Approval Actions
- Approve: Changes status to "Approved"
- Reject: Changes status to "Rejected" with mandatory comments
- Reopen: Changes approved timesheet status to "Reopened"

Timesheet Approval Interface

Navigate to the Team Tmesheet tab under the Timesheet menu option. This tab is only visible to Team Leaders and Global Administrators. On this tab, you'll find:

Timesheet Approval Interface

Filter Options: Project, user, status, and date range filters
Bulk Actions: Approve and reject buttons for selected timesheets
Timesheet Grid: Displays timesheet data with selection checkboxes
Action Buttons: Individual timesheet actions (view details, activity, reopen)

Filtering and Searching Timesheets

Project Filter

Click the Select project dropdown
Choose one or multiple projects:
- Use the search function to find specific projects
- Selected projects filter timesheets to show only relevant entries
Results update automatically after selection

User Filter

Click the Select user dropdown
Choose one or multiple team members:
- Users are listed alphabetically by full name
- Only shows users assigned to projects where you have approval rights
Results refresh immediately upon selection

Status Filter

Click the status dropdown
Select from available options:
- All: Shows timesheets in all statuses
- Submitted: Shows only submitted timesheets awaiting approval
- Approved: Shows approved timesheets
- Rejected: Shows rejected timesheets needing corrections
- Reopened: Shows reopened timesheets requiring resubmission

Date Range Filter

Choose from preset options:
- Current Month: Current calendar month
- Previous Month: Previous calendar month
- Last 3 Months: Past three months
- Last 6 Months: Past six months
- Custom Date: Specify exact date range
For custom dates:
- Select start date
- Select end date
- Results update automatically

Pro Tip

Use multiple filters simultaneously for precise timesheet searches. For example, filter by specific projects and submitted status to focus on timesheets requiring immediate attention.

Timesheet Approval Actions

Bulk Approval Process

Select Timesheets
- Use individual checkboxes to select specific timesheets
- Use the header checkbox to select all submitted timesheets
- Only timesheets with "Submitted" status can be selected

Initiate Approval

Click "APPROVE" button to approve selected timesheets

Confirmation Process
- System processes all selected timesheets
- Status changes to "Approved" for all selected entries
- Success notification confirms completion

Note

Only submitted timesheets can be bulk approved. Timesheets in other statuses will be disabled for selection.

Timesheet Rejection

Important: Only one timesheet can be rejected at a time to ensure proper comment tracking.

Select Single Timesheet
- Select exactly one submitted timesheet using the checkbox
- The REJECT button becomes enabled

Initiate Rejection

Click "REJECT" button to start rejection process

Add Rejection Comment
- Rejection popup dialog appears
- Enter detailed reason for rejection in the text area
- Comments are mandatory - cannot proceed without them

Confirm Rejection

Click "OK" to confirm rejection
OR
Click "CANCEL" to abort rejection process

Success Confirmation : After successful rejection:

✅ Status changes to "Rejected"
📧 Team member receives notification with rejection reason
🔄 Timesheet returns to team member for corrections

Reopening Timesheets

Team Leaders and Global Administrators can reopen approved timesheets for corrections.

Identify Approved Timesheet
- Locate timesheet with "Approved" status
- Note the reopen action icon (circular arrow) in the Actions column

Initiate Reopen Process

Click the reopen icon for the specific timesheet

Confirm Reopen Action
- Confirmation dialog appears asking for reopen confirmation
- Click "Yes" to proceed or "No" to cancel
Add Reopen Reason
- Reopen comment dialog appears
- Enter reason for reopening in the text area
- Comments help team member understand required changes

Complete Reopen Process

Click "OK" to confirm with comments
OR  
Click "CANCEL" to abort reopen process

Success Confirmation : After successful reopening:

✅ Status changes to "Reopened"
📧 Team member receives notification with reopen reason
🔄 Timesheet becomes available for team member corrections

Viewing Timesheet Details

Access Detail View

Click the document icon in the Actions column

Detail Popup Information
- Start Time: Work session start time
- End Time: Work session end time
- Remarks: Any notes or comments added by the team member

Close Detail View

Click "Close" to return to the main timesheet grid

Activity History

Access Activity Log

Click the activity icon (document with text) in Actions column

Activity Information Includes
- Submission timestamps
- Approval/rejection history
- Reopen activity records
- User actions and dates
- Status change notifications

Timesheet Grid Information

Column	Description	Example
Date*	Timesheet entry date	`15/01/2025`
Timesheet Number*	Unique identifier	`TS-2025-001`
Status*	Current timesheet status	`Submitted`, `Approved`
Team Member*	Employee name	`John Smith`
Project*	Associated project	`Website Development`
Task*	Specific task performed	`Frontend Development`
Billable Hours*	Client-billable time	`6.50`
Non-Billable Hours*	Internal/non-billable time	`1.50`

Validation Rules

Timesheet Entry Validation

✅ **Valid Timesheet Requirements:**
- Day-level working hours equal sum of task-level hours
- All task entries have project and task assignments  
- Individual task entries are submitted before approval
- Timesheet number is consistent across same-day entries

❌ **Common Validation Issues:**
- Working hours don't match task hour totals
- Missing project or task assignments
- Unsubmitted task entries within timesheet
- Invalid time ranges or negative hours

Approval Permission Rules

Team Leader Restrictions:

Can only approve timesheets for assigned projects
Cannot approve timesheets outside their project scope
Must be designated as Team Leader for the specific project

Global Administrator Privileges:

Full access to approve any timesheet in the system
Override capability for all project restrictions
Complete timesheet management authority

Troubleshooting

1. Cannot Select Timesheets for Approval

Problem: Checkboxes are disabled and timesheets cannot be selected

Possible Causes & Solutions:

🔍 **Check Timesheet Status:**
   - Only "Submitted" timesheets can be approved
   - Verify timesheet status in the Status column
   - Filter by "Submitted" status to see available timesheets

🔄 **Alternative Actions:**
   - Refresh the page (Ctrl+F5 / Cmd+Shift+R)
   - Clear date filters and check for submitted timesheets
   - Verify you have approval rights for the displayed projects

2. Rejection Button Not Working

Problem: Cannot reject selected timesheets

Possible Causes & Solutions:

🔍 **Check Selection Count:**
   - Only one timesheet can be rejected at a time
   - Deselect all timesheets and select exactly one
   - Ensure selected timesheet has "Submitted" status

🔄 **Alternative Actions:**
   - Verify the timesheet belongs to your managed projects
   - Check if you have rejection permissions
   - Try refreshing the page and reselecting

3. Missing Timesheets in View

Problem: Expected timesheets don't appear in the grid

Possible Causes & Solutions:

🔍 **Check Filter Settings:**
   - Verify date range includes the expected timesheet dates
   - Clear project and user filters to see all timesheets
   - Check status filter - ensure it includes the relevant statuses

🔄 **Alternative Actions:**
   - Reset all filters to default settings
   - Verify team member has submitted the timesheets
   - Check if timesheets are assigned to your managed projects

4. Reopen Action Not Available

Problem: Cannot see or click reopen button

Possible Causes & Solutions:

🔍 **Check Timesheet Status:**
   - Reopen option only appears for "Approved" timesheets
   - Verify the timesheet status is "Approved" in the Status column
   - Only Team Leaders and Global Administrators can reopen

🔄 **Alternative Actions:**
   - Check your role permissions with system administrator
   - Verify you are assigned as Team Leader for the project
   - Confirm timesheet is actually approved and not in draft status

Error Message Reference

Error Message	Solution
"Rejection comment is required"	Enter a mandatory comment explaining the rejection reason
"Reopen comment is required"	Provide a reason for reopening the approved timesheet
"No records found"	Adjust filters or date ranges to locate timesheets
"Timesheet approval error"	Check network connection and retry, or contact system administrator
"Insufficient permissions"	Verify you have Team Leader or Global Administrator role for the project

Best Practices

Review Guidelines

✅ **Do:**
- Review timesheet accuracy before approving
- Check that working hours match task hour totals
- Verify project and task assignments are appropriate
- Provide clear, constructive feedback in rejection comments
- Use bulk approval for verified, accurate timesheets
- Regularly review and process submitted timesheets

❌ **Don't:**
- Approve timesheets without proper review
- Reject without providing detailed comments
- Ignore discrepancies in hours or project assignments
- Delay timesheet approvals unnecessarily
- Reopen approved timesheets without valid reasons

Efficiency Tips

🎯 **Approval Workflow:**
1. Use filters to focus on submitted timesheets requiring attention
2. Review timesheet details for accuracy and completeness
3. Bulk approve verified timesheets to save time
4. Handle rejections individually with detailed feedback

📋 **Maintenance Tasks:**
- Review pending approvals daily during business hours
- Address rejected timesheets promptly with team members
- Monitor reopened timesheets for resubmission
- Keep approval reasons documented for audit purposes

Conclusion

This timesheet approval manual provides the essential knowledge and procedures for Team Leaders and Global Administrators to effectively manage timesheet approvals. Following these guidelines ensures accurate time tracking, proper project management, and efficient workflow processing.

Last Updated: 2025-01-09 Version: 1.0 Document Type: End User Guide