Follow the submission from review to decision
- Open the submitted Timesheet and confirm the contractor, date range and submission version.
- Check the entries and supporting notes. Approve an acceptable submission, or request a specific correction and resubmission.
- Save the decision and check the updated status. An authorized person can then review approved time alongside other records when confirming what the Company owes.
Watch the 38-second timesheet-review demonstration. It shows a submitted Timesheet, its supporting entries and a saved approval in Friday Falcon. The written steps also explain requesting changes and reopening a submission.
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?
Understand what each status means
Too many states create interpretation work. Too few hide what happens next.
The distinction between “Changes requested” and “Rejected” matters. A wrong start time or missing description normally calls for a correction rather than rejection. The action should match the reviewer’s intent.
- “Draft”: The contractor can still edit the Timesheet.
- “Submitted”: The Timesheet is waiting for review.
- “Changes requested”: The contractor should correct the named issue and resubmit.
- “Approved”: The reviewer accepts the Timesheet.
- “Rejected”: The submission was not accepted. The contractor cannot resubmit it unless someone with permission reopens it.
- Prepare
Review the date range and Time Entries.
- Submitted
A saved version waits for authorized review.
One review decision
- Approved
Accepted as approved time evidence.
- Changes requested
Read the reason, correct the source, and submit a new version.
- Rejected
Not accepted; cannot resubmit unless reopened.
An authorized person allows a new version after approval or rejection.
Earlier submissions, decisions, and reasons stay recorded.
Read diagram explanation
Each review decision belongs to a submitted Timesheet version. Changes requested allows correction and another submission. Approved or rejected Timesheets require authorized reopening before a new submission. Earlier submissions and decisions remain in the history.
Approving time does not confirm an amount owed or send payment.
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.
Connect approved hours to the amount owed
For a fictional example, twelve approved hours at USD 50 plus an approved USD 40 expense support USD 640. An invoice for the same work is supporting evidence, not another USD 640 to add. A USD 400 payment made through your bank leaves USD 240 to account for.
Follow the contractor amount-review example to see the next decision, or use the free contractor balance checker to work through the arithmetic. The checker does not approve records or move money.
If your Company needs a shared review workflow, see Company plans. If you only need your own client invoices and personal tools, start with the free personal workspace.