Why Timesheet Approval Matters: FAQs
Q: For Managers: How does approving timesheets help me manage my team and projects effectively?
A: Timesheet approval gives you crucial oversight before hours impact budgets or client bills. By reviewing and verifying time entries, you ensure work aligns with project scope, catch potential errors early, and maintain accurate project costing. It eliminates billing surprises and provides a clear picture of team effort, helping you manage resources and profitability effectively. Plus, with features like automatic reminders, you spend less time chasing submissions and more time managing.
Q: For Team Members: What’s the benefit of having my timesheet formally approved?
A: It provides a clear, official handoff, confirming your logged hours have been reviewed and acknowledged. This ensures your work is accurately recorded for project tracking and, crucially, for correct payroll processing or client billing attributed to your efforts. It reduces the chance of back-and-forth questions later and gives you peace of mind that your contribution is properly logged within the system.
Q: For Finance/HR/Payroll: How does requiring approval ensure accurate billing and payroll?
A: Accuracy is paramount here. By ensuring only approved hours feed into reports and exports, you drastically reduce the risk of costly errors in client invoices and employee paychecks. This system provides a verifiable checkpoint, confirming that hours have been validated by a manager before they are processed. It eliminates guesswork and reliance on potentially inaccurate draft data, leading to cleaner audits and fewer disputes.
Q: How does a formal approval workflow enhance compliance and provide an audit trail?
A: A structured approval process creates a clear, documented history of who submitted time, who reviewed it, and when it was approved or rejected. This digital audit trail is essential for internal controls, client audits, and regulatory compliance (like DCAA or specific labor laws). eHour’s system provides the traceable record needed to demonstrate due diligence and accountability for logged work hours.
Q: Can customized approval steps (like Manager then Finance) add extra security?
A: Absolutely. Implementing multi-step approvals (like the 4-eyes principle) adds layers of verification, ideal for organizations needing stringent controls. For instance, a Line Manager verifies the work performed, while Finance verifies alignment with project codes or budgets. This customization ensures the right people review the right information at the right stage, bolstering both accuracy and financial governance.