Decide what the reviewer is checking
A practical review asks a small set of questions:
- Is this the correct contractor and date range?
- Are the Time Entries complete and plausible?
- Are descriptions or Work categories present where the company uses them?
- Are unusually long entries explained?
- Is there a specific correction the contractor needs to make?
Use a small, precise state model
Too many states create interpretation work. Too few hide what happens next. Draft means the contractor can still edit. Submitted means review is waiting. Changes requested means a correction and resubmission are expected. Approved means the reviewer accepts the Timesheet. Rejected means the submission was not accepted and is terminal unless an authorized person reopens it.
The distinction between Changes requested and Rejected matters. A wrong start time or missing description normally calls for a correction, not a terminal rejection. The action should match the reviewer’s intent.
Make correction requests specific
“Please fix” sends the contractor back with no useful direction. Name the entry or date, explain what appears wrong, say what should change, and make clear whether the Timesheet must be resubmitted.
Route review to someone who knows the work
The Company owner does not need to approve every Timesheet. A Team Lead may be better placed to review the contractors they lead.
Assignment and authority should remain separate. A Team Lead can receive permission to review or approve team Timesheets without automatically seeing rates, invoices, or payments. This keeps review close to the work while protecting financial information.
Put waiting work in one attention list
A reviewer should not need to open every contractor profile to find submitted Timesheets. An attention list can show whose Timesheet is waiting, the date range, why it needs this reviewer, and the next action.
Once the reviewer acts, the item should update or leave the list. “You’re all caught up” should appear only when nothing actionable remains for that user.
Preserve the decision history
Keep the submission version, reviewer, decision time, correction reason, resubmission, and final decision connected. If an approved Timesheet later proves wrong, use the available correction path instead of silently replacing the record that supported a financial decision.
Friday Falcon connects submitted Timesheets to What needs your attention, keeps Changes requested and Rejected distinct, and allows team-scoped review access without automatically turning on financial visibility.
Set a review rhythm
A good state model still needs a predictable cadence. Tell contractors when to submit, tell reviewers when their queue should be clear, and decide who covers an absent reviewer. The rhythm can be weekly, twice monthly, or tied to the company’s normal contractor cycle; what matters is that nobody has to guess.
Review the exceptions first. A long Time Entry, a missing category the company actually uses, or a resubmitted Timesheet deserves attention before a routine submission. That keeps the queue moving without treating every record as equally difficult.
If submissions repeatedly arrive with the same problem, fix the instruction or setup that causes it. A clearer Work category, a better example, or one timely reminder is more useful than sending the same correction every week.