How timesheet approval works

Approval is the step where someone other than the worker looks at the hours and says they're right. Only then do they go on to payroll.

Clockify's help page is used here as one worked example, checked November 11, 2026. Other products use their own names and steps.¹

The usual steps

• Submit. The worker marks the week or pay period as finished.
• Review. A manager or admin opens it and reads the entries.
• Decide. Approve it, or reject it with a reason.
• Lock. Approved hours stop being editable.

Who checks the hours

In Clockify, admins and managers can review and approve tracked time entries submitted by team members.¹ The same page names workspace owners, admins, project managers and team managers as people who can do it, and says the feature needs the Standard plan or higher.¹

Think about who actually sees the work:

• A direct manager knows who was on site.
• A project lead knows what each person worked on.
• An owner may do it all in a very small business.

Nobody should approve their own hours if you can avoid it.

How often

Clockify's approval frequency can be set to weekly, semi-monthly or monthly.¹ Match this to your pay cycle. If you pay fortnightly, a weekly check still catches problems sooner.

When someone disagrees

Disagreements are normal. Someone forgets a break, or a manager thinks a shift ran shorter. Here's what the software side usually allows.

• Reject with a reason. In Clockify, a rejected timesheet needs a note sent to the user.¹
• Edit and resubmit. The worker fixes it and sends it again.
• Manager edits. Admins, and team managers with permission, can edit pending entries in Clockify.¹
• Withdraw approval. If a mistake shows up after approval, an admin can withdraw it. The worker is then told to edit and resubmit.¹

Software settles the process, not the argument. If you and a worker disagree about hours actually worked, talk to them first. For pay disputes, go to the official body for your country. An employment lawyer can also help.

Locked means locked

Clockify says approved timesheets and expenses are locked from editing.¹ That protects a finished record. It also means a late fix takes extra steps, so catch errors before approving.

Keeping a trail

• History. Clockify's timesheet archive shows the history of submitted, approved, rejected and withdrawn timesheets.¹
• Reasons. Rejection notes sit with the record, so later readers can see why it changed.
• Official rules. In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman says time and wages records can't be changed unless the change is to correct an error.² It also says records must be kept for 7 years.² Check the rules where you operate.

A simple checklist for approvers

• Do the totals look sensible for the person's usual week?
• Are any days empty that shouldn't be?
• Are there entries that run on far longer than a normal shift? See missed punches.
• Do the breaks match what was agreed?
• If rejecting, did you say exactly what needs fixing?

Reminders help

Late submissions hold up pay. Some products can send reminders to submit and reminders to approve. Clockify's page describes both.¹ Once approved, the hours are ready for payroll.