4 min read ·

How Do I Set Up Timesheet Approval Workflows in Profit.co?

Setting up timesheet approval in Profit.co starts with enabling the Timesheets module for your organization. Once enabled, submitted timesheets route automatically to each employee's manager for review, based on your existing reporting structure.

What Is a Timesheet Approval Workflow?

The timesheet approval workflow is the structure that determines who reviews a submitted timesheet before it's marked Approved. It's part of the Timesheets module, enabled from Settings → General → Apps, and it works alongside two roles, Timesheets Admin and Timesheets User, that define what each person can see and do within the module.

Unlike PPM's configurable approval chains, which let you hand-pick approver sequences per context, timesheet approval routes to each employee's existing manager without a separate approver-configuration screen.

Why Does Setting Up the Approval Workflow Matter?

Until Timesheets is enabled, there's no submission or approval step at all, employees have no weekly timesheet to fill in, and managers have no Pending Approval queue to review. Enabling it is what turns individual task worklogs into a structured, reviewable weekly record.

Because routing follows your existing reporting lines, setup is mostly about turning the module on and confirming your organization's manager assignments are correct, rather than building an approval sequence from scratch.

How Do I Set Up Timesheet Approval?

Step 1

  • Navigate to Settings → General → Apps from the left navigation panel.
  • On the Apps page, enable the Timesheets toggle, listed under Projects & Tasks.
  • Once enabled, Timesheets appears in the left navigation panel for users in your organization.

Step 2

  • Confirm which users should hold the Timesheets Admin role, giving them visibility into all employee timesheets and Cockpit charts, versus the Timesheets User role, limited to a person's own timesheets.

Step 3

  • Since approval routes to each employee's manager automatically, confirm that manager assignments in your organization are accurate before rolling Timesheets out.

Once enabled, employees can begin logging time, adding it to their weekly timesheet, and submitting it for approval, with no additional workflow setup required.

Note

Timesheet approval routing is based on each employee's existing manager relationship in Profit.co rather than a separate, configurable approver chain.

What Happens When You Set Up Timesheet Approval?

Scenario What Happens
You enable the Timesheets toggle for your organization. Timesheets appears in the left navigation panel, and employees can begin logging time and submitting weekly timesheets.
An employee submits their weekly timesheet. It routes automatically to their manager's Pending Approval queue based on the existing reporting structure, with no separate approver configuration needed.
Multiple employees report to the same manager. All of their submitted timesheets appear together in that one manager's Pending Approval queue for review.

Who Can Access Timesheet Approval Workflows?

Role Access
Timesheets Admin Access and view all employee timesheets and Cockpit charts across the organization.
Timesheets User Enter, manage, and view their own timesheets, and submit them for approval.
Manager (Reporting Line) Automatically receives their reportees' submitted timesheets in a Pending Approval queue.

What Are the Best Practices for Setting Up Timesheet Approval?

  • Verify reporting lines are accurate before enabling Timesheets organization-wide, since approval routing depends entirely on those existing manager assignments.
  • Assign Timesheets Admin access sparingly, since that role sees every employee's timesheet and Cockpit data, not just their own team's.
  • Roll out to one department first if you're introducing Timesheets for the first time, so managers get comfortable with the Pending Approval workflow before it's organization-wide.
  • Pair the rollout with a brief note to employees on how to log time against tasks, since a timesheet only reflects what's been logged and submitted.

What Are Some Frequently Asked Questions About Timesheet Approval Workflows?

Q1. Can I customize who approves a specific employee's timesheet, separate from their manager?

This isn't described as a configurable option. Approval routing follows the employee's existing manager relationship rather than a separately assigned approver.

Q2. Is the Timesheets toggle a single organization-wide switch, or can it be enabled per department?

Enabling Timesheets happens from Settings → General → Apps, an organization-level settings page, consistent with how other modules are enabled from the same Apps page.

Q3. Do I need to configure anything else before employees can submit timesheets?

Once Timesheets is enabled and reporting lines are correct, employees can log time against tasks and submit their weekly timesheet without further setup.

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