Workflow Template
Timesheet Approval Workflow
Employees or contractors submit hours worked for a reporting period, including overtime and leave/non-billable time. The manager reviews and either approves the timesheet (marking it ready for payroll and notifying the submitter) or requests a correction, returning it to the submitter to fix and resubmit.
Manual timesheet approval means chasing emails, chasing corrections, and hoping payroll gets accurate numbers on time. This workflow lets employees or contractors submit hours, overtime, and leave for a period, then routes each timesheet to their manager for review. Managers approve straight to payroll or send it back with a correction request, and the submitter fixes and resubmits without anyone needing to track it manually.
Business Outcomes
- Cut timesheet processing time from days to hours
- Reduce payroll errors caused by unreviewed or incomplete timesheets
- Eliminate manual chasing of managers and submitters
- Create a clear audit trail for every approval and correction
- Speed up payroll cutoff readiness across teams
Workflow Steps
Steps
- 1Create Timesheet Recordcreate record
Registers the submitted timesheet as a record.
- 2Set Status to Submittedupdate record
Marks the timesheet as submitted and awaiting manager review.
- 3Assign to Managerassign user
Assigns the timesheet to the submitter's manager for review.
- 4Set Status to Under Reviewupdate record
Marks the timesheet as under manager review.
- 5Manager Reviews Timesheetrequest approval
Manager reviews hours, overtime, and leave/non-billable time, then approves or requests a correction.
- 6Route on Manager Decision
Routes to payroll-ready notification if approved, or back to submitter for correction if rejected.
approval_status: "approved"→Mark Ready for Payrollapproval_status: "rejected"→Notify Submitter of Correction NeededDefault→End - 7Mark Ready for Payrollupdate record
Updates the timesheet status to approved and ready for payroll processing.
- 8Notify Submitter of Approvalsend email
Emails the submitter confirming their timesheet was approved and is ready for payroll.
- 9Notify Submitter of Correction Neededupdate record
Sets status to correction requested and emails the submitter to fix and resubmit their timesheet.
- 10Email Correction Request to Submittersend email
Notifies the submitter that a correction is needed and asks them to resubmit.
- 11Restart for Resubmissionrestart from step
Closes this execution and starts a new iteration from manager review once the submitter resubmits.
Fields
- Submitter Name*
- Submitter Email*
- Worker Type*
- Reporting Period Start*
- Reporting Period End*
- Project / Cost Centre*
- +7 more fields
Forms
Timesheet Submission
11 fields
Data Views
Timesheet Management
submitter_name, worker_type, reporting_period_start, reporting_period_end +5 more
Dashboard Widgets
Recommended integrations
Setup the following integrations to extend workflow capability.
Send email in the workflow
AWS SES
Similar Workflows
Similar Categories
FAQs
How do I set up this timesheet approval workflow?
Publish the template inside assess.one and it's live immediately — no setup project needed. You can start routing timesheets for approval within minutes of publishing.
What do I need before I can use this workflow?
You just need your manager and employee/contractor list added in assess.one, plus your payroll cutoff dates. No external software or integration work is required to get started.
How long does implementation take?
Publishing the template takes minutes. Once it's live, your team can submit and approve timesheets straight away — there's no weeks-long rollout.
Can I customise the approval steps or notifications?
Yes. You can edit statuses, add extra approval stages, change who timesheets route to, and adjust email or Slack notifications directly inside assess.one. No developer is needed to make these changes.
Who needs access to this workflow?
Submitters (employees or contractors) need access to log hours, and managers need access to review and approve. You can also add payroll staff as viewers once timesheets are marked ready.
What happens if a manager rejects a timesheet?
The workflow sets the status to correction needed, emails the submitter automatically, and restarts the process for resubmission. Once resubmitted, it goes straight back to under review with the same manager.
How does this workflow prevent payroll errors?
Every timesheet must be explicitly reviewed and marked ready for payroll before it moves forward. Incomplete or incorrect submissions get routed back for correction instead of passing through unchecked.
Can I track overtime and leave separately?
Yes. The timesheet record captures regular hours, overtime, and leave or non-billable time as distinct fields, so managers can review each category on approval.
Is there an audit trail for approvals and corrections?
Yes. Every status change — submitted, under review, correction requested, approved — is logged with timestamps and the person responsible, giving you a full history for compliance or disputes.
Ready to use this workflow?
Create a free account and customise this workflow for your business.