If timesheets are required, accuracy in completion is essential payroll, as it ensures that all hours worked are recorded and correctly paid. Employees should begin by entering their personal details, the relevant pay period, and daily start and finish times. Breaks must also be recorded, as these affect total payable hours and help employers meet Fair Work obligations. It is important to use the organisation’s approved timesheet format—whether digital or paper—and follow any specific instructions provided by the employer.
Once all hours have been entered, the employee should review the timesheet for
completeness and accuracy. This includes checking that overtime, penalties, allowances, and leave taken have been recorded according to workplace policy and any applicable industrial instrument. Corrections should be made before submission to avoid delays in payroll processing.
Timesheets are usually filled out by an employee, then submitted to a manager (or other appropriate approver) for review and approval. During the review step, the timesheet could be either approved or declined. If declined, the timesheets will be sent back to the employee to be changed and then can be resubmitted for review & approval. Once the timesheet is approved, the timesheet transactions can go into the scheduled pay cycle. If a timesheet is not approved by the deadline, then it will be processed in the following pay cycle once approved.