Review, Reject, and Approve Employee Timesheets
OfficeClip Timesheet lets employees submit their recorded hours for review by an authorized approver. The approver can review the work, approve the timesheet, or return it for correction. Configure manual approver selection or administrator-defined routing to match your review process.
How Timesheet approval works
A submitted timesheet moves through a clear review process. The review path can be selected manually or configured by an administrator.
Submit
Employees complete their timesheet and submit it when the reporting period is finished.
Review
The authorized approver opens the submitted timesheet and reviews the recorded work.
Approve or reject
The approver accepts correct entries or rejects the timesheet when something needs attention.
Correct and resubmit
If rejected, the employee makes the required correction and submits the timesheet again.
Follow one timesheet from submission to approval
Overview of timesheet approval workflow process
Who receives a submitted timesheet?
OfficeClip supports different approval-routing approaches depending on how you want the review path configured.
Employee selects the approver
The employee selects an authorized approver when submitting the timesheet. This is useful when the appropriate reviewer varies depending on the work or organizational structure.
OfficeClip routes it automatically
An administrator defines the approval path in advance. The employee submits the timesheet and OfficeClip sends it to the configured reviewer. The timesheet routing can be set for upto three approvers.
What happens when a timesheet needs correction?
An approver can return an incorrect timesheet to the employee. The employee corrects it and submits it again.
Can employees edit submitted or approved time?
Show permissions separately by workflow state so buyers can understand who can change a timesheet and when.
| Timesheet state | Employee | Approver |
|---|---|---|
| Saved | Can edit and submit. | Normally not yet involved. |
| Submitted | Cannot edit while awaiting action. | Can review, take permitted approval actions, and write comments. |
| Rejected | Can correct and resubmit. | Can review the corrected submission again. |
| Approved | Cannot edit the finalized timesheet. | Finalized workflow. |
Can a manager approve several timesheets together?
When bulk approval is enabled, supervisors can select multiple submitted timesheets and approve them together instead of opening each one individually.
Faster routine review
- Weekly payroll preparation
- Larger teams
- Routine timesheets with minimal exceptions
Automatically approve selected users when review isn’t required
Administrators can designate selected users for automatic approval. Their submitted timesheets can be finalized without going through the normal review path.
Use auto approval as an administrator-defined policy
This makes it clear that automatic approval is a configured workflow choice rather than an employee bypassing review.
Control what happens after submission
Supporting controls make the approval process easier to manage and audit.
Lock submitted time
Prevent employees from changing a timesheet while it is being reviewed.
Notify approvers
Let reviewers know when a timesheet is waiting for action.
Choose submission periods
Describe the weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, or other supported periods.
Track approval history
Show how administrators can review approval activity and workflow history.
What do I need to use timesheet approvals?
Replace the verification notes below with the exact edition and configuration requirements from the current release.
Timesheet approval FAQ
Can an employee choose their approver?
With manual routing, the employee can select an authorized approver during submission. With configured routing, OfficeClip sends the timesheet to the administrator-defined approver.
Can an approver reject a timesheet?
Yes. A submitted timesheet can be returned to the employee for correction and then submitted again.
Can employees edit a submitted timesheet?
A submitted timesheet is locked from normal employee editing while it is awaiting approval.
Can managers approve several timesheets at once?
Yes, when bulk approval is enabled. But bulk approval feature cannot be used if the DCAA mode is set to Yes.
Can OfficeClip approve timesheets automatically?
Yes. Administrators can configure selected users for automatic approval where that workflow is appropriate.
Make timesheet review part of a controlled workflow
Give employees a clear submission process and give managers the tools to review, reject, correct, and approve time before it is finalized.
