Approving Timesheets

Owner, Admin and HR manager can review, approve, or reject team member timesheets.

Accessing Approval Queue

1. Click "Approval Queue" in workspace navigation
2. See badge with pending timesheet count
3. View all submitted timesheets awaiting review

Review Process

Open a Timesheet

1. Click on a pending timesheet
2. View all time entries for the week
3. See total hours logged
4. Read any notes from the team member

Verify Entries

• Check if hours are reasonable
• Verify tasks match project work
• Look for any unusual patterns
• Review notes for context

Approve Timesheet

If everything looks good:

1. Click "Approve" button
2. Optionally add a note
3. Choose whether to send email notification
4. Click "Approve"

What Happens After Approval

• Worker receives notification
• All time entries are locked
• Status changes to "Approved"
• Entries cannot be edited
• Timesheet removed from approval queue
• Approval metadata saved (your name and timestamp)
• Workers can hover over "Approved" badge to see who approved and when

Reject Timesheet

If changes are needed:

1. Click "Reject" button
2. Add a note explaining what needs fixing
3. Choose whether to send email notification
4. Click "Reject"

What Happens After Rejection

• Worker receives notification with your note
• All entries are unlocked
• Status changes to "Rejected"
• Worker can edit and resubmit
• Rejection metadata saved (your name, timestamp, and reason)
• Workers can hover over "Re-submit" button to see who rejected, when, and why

Locked vs Unlocked Entries

Locked (After Approval)

• Cannot be edited by worker
• Protected from changes
• Represent approved work hours

Unlocked (Draft or Rejected)

• Worker can edit freely
• Not yet approved
• Can be modified and resubmitted

Email Notifications

By default, workers receive emails when you approve/reject. This keeps them informed in real-time.

Bulk Actions

Currently, timesheets are reviewed individually. Bulk approval may be added in future updates.

Multi-Week View

As an approver, you can:

1. View team's time tracking
2. See multiple weeks at once
3. Monitor time across projects
4. Identify patterns

Tips for Approvers

• Review timesheets promptly
• Provide clear feedback on rejections
• Be consistent with approval standards
• Communicate expectations to team
• Check approval queue regularly

Approval Transparency

Vailo tracks approval and rejection actions for transparency:

For Approved Timesheets

• Your name and approval timestamp are saved
• Workers can hover over the "Approved" badge to see:
  • Who approved the timesheet
  • When it was approved

For Rejected Timesheets

• Your name, rejection timestamp, and reason are saved
• Workers can hover over the "Re-submit" button to see:
  • Who rejected the timesheet
  • When it was rejected
  • Why it was rejected (your note)

This transparency helps workers understand the approval process and provides accountability.

Approval Queue Badge

The navigation shows a badge with pending count:

• Approval Queue (3) = 3 timesheets waiting
• Badge updates in real-time
• Click to go directly to queue

Need Help?

For questions about the approval process, contact support@vailo.io