As an employer, you can add, edit, and approve timesheets on behalf of your employees. You'll also need to approve timesheets that employees submit themselves.
When to add timesheets as an employer
You might need to add timesheets directly when:
Employees don't have PaySauce accounts yet
You need to add timesheets during payroll processing
An employee forgot to submit their timesheet before the deadline
You're correcting errors in submitted timesheets
You're processing timesheets from an external time tracking system
An employee is unable to submit their own timesheet
Accessing an employee's timesheets
You can access an employee's timesheets in two ways:
Method 1: Through the Employees section
Select Employees from the navigation menu
Select the employee from the list
Select Timesheets
Method 2: During a pay run
Open the pay run
Select the employee from the list
In the Timesheets section, select Edit timesheets
Note: Both methods take you to the same place where you can view existing timesheets and add new ones.
Adding a timesheet for an employee
Once you're on the employee's timesheet page, you'll see:
Their existing timesheets (pending, approved, declined, or completed)
A Timesheet - record work done section for adding new timesheets
Step 1: Enter the date worked
Enter or select the date the employee worked using the date field.
Step 2: Enter hours worked
How you record hours depends on how you've configured the employee's time entry settings.
Quantity of hours – Enter the total hours worked as a number. For partial hours, use decimals: 8 hours 30 minutes = 8.5, 4 hours 15 minutes = 4.25, 7 hours 45 minutes = 7.75.
Start and end times – Enter the exact time the employee started and finished their shift.
To check or change how an employee records their time, see Adding a new employee – Time entry model.
Note: For partial hours, use decimals:
8 hours 30 minutes = 8.5
4 hours 15 minutes = 4.25
7 hours 45 minutes = 7.75
Step 3: Record breaks (if applicable)
Some awards require you to record meal and rest breaks, including whether they were paid or unpaid. You may also want to record breaks for your own records.
To add a break:
Select Add break + on the timesheet
Select the break type: Rest or Meal
If the break was paid, tick the Paid checkbox. Leave it unticked for unpaid breaks.
Enter the break times:
If the employee records start and end times: enter the start and end time of the break
If the employee records a quantity of hours: enter the duration in the Duration field as a decimal number. For example: 1 hour = 1, 30 minutes = 0.5, 15 minutes = 0.25, 10 minutes = 0.166, 45 minutes = 0.75
To add multiple breaks, select Add break + again and repeat the process.
Note: Unpaid breaks reduce the total time the employee will be paid. Paid breaks have no impact on hours worked or pay.
Step 4: Add details (if applicable)
Some timesheets require additional information to be calculated correctly in a pay run. Use the Detail dropdown to add:
Public holiday: When the employee worked on a public holiday
TOIL (Time off in lieu): When using TOIL hours
Not feeding and watering stock: For dairy sector employees under the Pastoral Award
⚠️ After selecting an option from the Detail dropdown, you must select + Add Item to attach the detail to the timesheet. If you don't select this button, the detail won't be saved.
Step 4: Save and approve
Once you've entered all the timesheet information, you have two options:
Save
Saves the timesheet with a status of "Pending"
You'll need to approve it later before it's included in a pay run
Useful if you want to review timesheets before approving them
Approve and Save (recommended)
Saves and approves the timesheet in a single step
The timesheet is immediately available for inclusion in pay runs
Ensures you don't forget to approve it later
Note: It is recommended when adding timesheets on behalf of employees, use Approve and Save to avoid the extra step of approving them later.
Adding multiple days
If you need to add timesheets for multiple days:
Enter the first day's timesheet and save/approve it
Repeat the process for each additional day
Each day requires a separate timesheet entry
Note: You cannot add multiple days in a single timesheet entry—each date must be entered separately.
Approving employee-submitted timesheets
When employees have PaySauce accounts, they can submit their own timesheets. These timesheets appear with a status of "Pending" and require your approval before they're included in pay runs.
Note: This is the standard workflow for businesses where employees submit their own timesheets. As the employer, you review and approve (or decline) each submission.
Why approval is required
Timesheet approval allows you to:
Verify hours worked match your records
Check for errors or unusual entries
Ensure employees aren't claiming unauthorised hours
Maintain control over payroll costs
Confirm special circumstances (public holidays, overtime, etc.)
Where to find pending timesheets
During pay run processing
Create or open a pay run
Review the employee list
Select an employee to view their pay details
Pending timesheets will be shown in the Timesheets section
Review and approve pending timesheets for each employee before processing the pay
From the employee's timesheet page:
Go to Employees > Select the employee > Timesheets
Pending timesheets are marked with "Pending" status
Select a timesheet to review and approve it
Reviewing a submitted timesheet
When reviewing a timesheet, check:
Date and hours
Is the date correct?
Do the hours worked seem reasonable?
Do they match your records or expectations?
Details
Are any special details included (public holiday, TOIL, etc.)?
Are these details appropriate for the date?
Does a public holiday detail match an actual public holiday?
Work pattern comparison
During pay runs, check the work pattern score
Investigate if the hours vary significantly from their normal pattern
Understand why there's a variance before approving
Approving timesheets
Once you've reviewed a timesheet and confirmed it's correct:
To approve individual timesheets:
Select the timesheet from the employee's list
Review the details
Select Approve
To approve all pending timesheets for an employee:
During pay run processing:
Select the employee in the pay run
In the Timesheets section, look for Approve all pending (if available)
Select the button to approve all pending timesheets at once
To approve individual timesheets during a pay run:
Select the employee in the pay run
In the Timesheets section, review each pending timesheet
Select the thumbs up icon next to each timesheet you want to approve
Declining timesheets
If a timesheet is incorrect or shouldn't be paid:
To decline a timesheet:
Select the timesheet
Select Decline
To decline all pending timesheets for an employee:
In the Timesheets section during pay run processing, look for Decline all pending and select it.
What happens when you decline:
The timesheet status changes to "Declined"
It will not be included in any pay run
The employee can see it was declined (if they have PaySauce access)
Note: Always communicate with the employee about why their timesheet was declined so they can:
Understand the issue
Correct the error
Resubmit the timesheet properly
Requesting changes to a timesheet
If a timesheet needs adjustments rather than outright rejection:
Option 1: Decline and ask employee to resubmit
Decline the timesheet
Contact the employee to explain what needs changing
Employee deletes or edits the declined timesheet and resubmits
Option 2: Edit it yourself
Select the pending timesheet
Make the necessary corrections
Select Approve and Save
Viewing submitted timesheets
Quick view
All submitted timesheets for an employee appear on their Timesheets page. Each entry shows:
Date: The date worked
Hours: Total hours recorded
Detail: Any additional information (public holiday, TOIL, etc.)
Status: The approval status (pending, approved, declined, completed)
Use the pagination arrows or numbers to view older timesheets, or adjust how many appear per page using the dropdown.
Detailed view
Select any timesheet to view its full details. From the detailed view, you can:
See all information about the timesheet
Edit the timesheet (if status is pending)
Approve or decline the timesheet
Delete the timesheet (if it hasn't been processed in a pay run)
Editing timesheets
You can only edit timesheets with a status of "Pending."
To edit a timesheet:
Select the timesheet from the employee's list
Update the date, hours, or details as needed
Select Save or Approve and Save
⚠️ Changes are only saved when you select Save or Approve and Save. If you navigate away without saving, your changes will be lost.
Deleting timesheets
You can only delete timesheets that haven't been processed in a completed pay run.
To delete a timesheet:
Select the timesheet from the employee's list
Select Delete
Confirm the deletion
⚠️ Once a timesheet has been included in a completed pay run (status shows "Completed"), it cannot be edited or deleted.
Understanding timesheet statuses
Timesheets show one of the following statuses:
Pending
The timesheet has been submitted but not yet approved or declined
You can edit, approve, decline, or delete
Not included in pay runs until approved
Approved
The timesheet has been approved by you
Cannot be edited without changing status back to pending
Will be included in the pay run for the relevant period
Declined
The timesheet has been declined
Cannot be edited without changing status back to pending
Not included in any pay run
Completed
The timesheet has been processed in a pay run
Cannot be edited or deleted
The employee has been paid for these hours
Managing timesheets during payroll processing
When processing a pay run, reviewing and approving timesheets is a critical step.
Create or open the pay run
Review the employee list—employees with pending timesheets will be indicated
Select each employee to review their pay details
In the Timesheets section, you'll see:
Approved timesheets already included in the pay calculation
Pending timesheets awaiting your approval
Review each pending timesheet carefully
Approve timesheets that are correct
Decline or edit timesheets that need changes
Add any missing timesheets using Edit timesheets
Continue to the next employee
Ensure all intended timesheets are approved before processing the pay run
⚠️ Only approved timesheets are included in the pay run calculation. Always check for pending timesheets before processing the pay run. Unapproved timesheets mean employees won't be paid for those hours.
Quick approval during pay runs
For employees whose timesheets you've already verified:
Review their pending timesheets in the pay run
Use Approve all pending to approve all at once
This is faster than approving each timesheet individually
Best practices for managing employee timesheets
Establish clear processes
Set submission deadlines
Establish when timesheets must be submitted before each pay run
Communicate deadlines clearly to employees
Allow enough time to review and approve before processing payroll
Consider a deadline 1-2 days before the pay run to give yourself review time
Create approval workflows
Decide who is responsible for approving timesheets
Establish how quickly timesheets should be reviewed
Set up processes for handling questions or disputes
Define escalation paths for unusual situations
Communicate expectations
Train employees on how to submit accurate timesheets
Explain when to use different details (public holiday, TOIL, etc.)
Clarify what happens if timesheets are submitted late
Make sure employees understand the approval process
Review before approving
Check for errors
Verify hours worked match expected work patterns
Look for unusual entries (excessive hours, unexpected public holidays)
Confirm details are appropriate (public holiday detail on actual public holidays)
Check that decimal hours are used correctly
Compare to records
Cross-reference with rosters, time clock data, or other records
Check that hours align with what you know about the employee's work
Verify any overtime or penalty hours were authorised
Confirm employees worked on the dates they're claiming
Watch for common mistakes
Hours entered as whole numbers when partial hours worked (8 instead of 8.5)
Wrong dates selected
Missing or incorrect details for special circumstances
Duplicate timesheet entries for the same date
Use work pattern comparisons
PaySauce shows how actual hours compare to expected work patterns:
Review the work pattern score in the pay run (shown as a percentage)
100% means worked exactly as expected
Below 100% means worked fewer hours than expected
Above 100% means worked more hours than expected
Investigate significant variances before approving timesheets
Use this to identify under or over-worked hours
Communicate with employees
When declining timesheets
Let the employee know promptly why it was declined
Provide specific guidance on how to correct and resubmit
Be clear about what needs to change
Respond quickly to avoid payroll delays
For timesheet errors
Teach employees how to enter timesheets correctly
Provide examples of how to handle special situations
Share feedback to improve future submissions
Address recurring issues in team meetings or training
Handle edge cases appropriately
Overtime
Check that overtime threshold rules apply correctly
Confirm the hours are accurate
Public holidays
Verify the date was actually a public holiday in your location
Check that the employee worked (not just had the day off)
Ensure public holiday detail is attached
TOIL
Verify the employee has TOIL hours available
Check that the TOIL was previously earned and recorded
Confirm the amount being used is correct
Common questions
What's the difference between adding timesheets myself and having employees submit them?
What's the difference between adding timesheets myself and having employees submit them?
When you add timesheets, you can immediately approve them. When employees submit timesheets, they start as "Pending" and require your approval. Both methods result in the same timesheet data, but employee submission reduces your data entry work and puts the responsibility on employees to accurately record their hours.
What happens if I forget to approve a timesheet before processing the pay run?
What happens if I forget to approve a timesheet before processing the pay run?
Unapproved (pending) timesheets are not included in the pay run. The employee won't be paid for those hours. You can create an adjustment pay to include the missed timesheet after the original pay run is completed.
Should I approve timesheets as they're submitted or wait until processing the pay run?
Should I approve timesheets as they're submitted or wait until processing the pay run?
Both approaches work. Some employers prefer to approve timesheets daily or weekly as they're submitted, while others review and approve everything during pay run processing. Choose the approach that fits your workflow, but ensure you leave enough time for thorough review before the pay run deadline.
Can I edit a timesheet an employee submitted?
Can I edit a timesheet an employee submitted?
Yes. As long as the timesheet is still "Pending," you can edit it. Make your changes and then select Approve and Save. The employee will see the updated timesheet.
What if an employee submits a timesheet after I've already processed the pay run?
What if an employee submits a timesheet after I've already processed the pay run?
You can approve the late timesheet and include it in the next pay run, or create an adjustment pay for the period when the work was actually performed. Discuss with the employee about submitting timesheets on time in the future.
Can employees see when I've approved or declined their timesheets?
Can employees see when I've approved or declined their timesheets?
Yes. If employees have PaySauce accounts, they can see the status of all their timesheets. They'll know immediately if a timesheet is pending, approved, declined, or completed.
How far back can employees submit timesheets?
How far back can employees submit timesheets?
Employees can submit timesheets for any date. However, once a pay run for that period has been completed, the timesheet will need to be handled through an adjustment pay. Encourage employees to submit timesheets promptly.
What if I accidentally approve an incorrect timesheet?
What if I accidentally approve an incorrect timesheet?
If you haven't processed the pay run yet, you can change the timesheet back to "Pending," edit it, and reapprove it. If the pay run is already completed, you'll need to handle the correction through an adjustment pay.
Need help?
If you have questions about approving timesheets, managing submission workflows, or establishing timesheet policies, contact PaySauce support. We can help you develop processes that work for your business and ensure accurate, efficient timesheet management.