> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shorpay.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Timesheets

> Review and approve time submitted by Pay-As-You-Go contractors.

For **Pay-As-You-Go** (PAYG) contracts, contractors submit their hours each pay period. You review and approve, and approved hours flow into the next payment.

## Where Timesheets Show Up

Submitted timesheets appear in two places:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Payroll page" icon="money-check-dollar">
    **Talent → Payroll** shows submitted timesheets alongside upcoming payments and in-flight work. Filter by employment type or contract type to focus on just PAYG entries.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Individual contract view" icon="file-signature">
    Open the specific PAYG contract from **Talent → People** to see its full timesheet history, including past approved/rejected cycles.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Timesheet Statuses

| Status        | What It Means                                                             |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Submitted** | Contractor has submitted hours; awaiting your review                      |
| **Approved**  | You've approved the timesheet; the hours roll into the next payment       |
| **Rejected**  | You've sent it back with feedback; the contractor can revise and resubmit |

## Reviewing a Submitted Timesheet

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Timesheet">
    Click the submitted timesheet from the Payroll page, or open it from inside the contract's detail view.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check the Details">
    You'll see:

    * The contractor's name and contract
    * The pay period (start and end dates)
    * Hours submitted
    * Rate × units total
    * Any notes the contractor added
  </Step>

  <Step title="Approve or Reject">
    * **Approve**: the timesheet moves to Approved and the hours flow into the next scheduled payment. You'll see the resulting line item on the Payroll page.
    * **Reject**: add a reason (required). The contractor gets an email with your feedback and can revise and resubmit.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What Happens After Approval

The approved timesheet generates a payment line item with the amount = `rate × units`. That payment appears on the Payroll page and follows the normal payroll flow:

* Shows up as an upcoming payment on the Payroll page
* Gets processed on the next scheduled pay date (or when you click **Process payments**)
* Debits your connected bank account and credits the contractor's Shor account within minutes once funded
* Appears in **Finance → Payments** and **Finance → Transactions** like any other payment

## Bulk Review

If multiple PAYG contractors submit in the same pay cycle, you can review them all from the Payroll page. Filter to the pay period, check each submission, approve or reject, and then batch-process the approved ones as a single payroll run.

## Rejecting With Feedback

Rejection isn't punishment. It's a clarification loop. Common reasons:

* Hours don't match what you agreed on for the period
* Missing detail in the notes (which project, which client meetings)
* Task was outside the contract's scope
* Typo or wrong unit count

Always include a **reason** when you reject. The contractor sees it verbatim and knows exactly how to revise.

## Timesheet History

Each contract's detail view keeps the full history: submitted timesheets, approvals, rejections, associated payments. Use this for:

* Reconciling against your own records of approved work
* Year-over-year totals per contractor
* Auditing disputes ("what did we pay for last month?")

## Common Scenarios

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Contractor Submits Late">
    If a contractor submits after the pay period has closed, the timesheet still needs your review, but the resulting payment goes out on the next scheduled pay date, not the missed one. Communicate the delay directly if it affects them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="You Disagree With the Hours">
    Don't silently approve what you don't agree with. Reject with a specific number you'll approve, the contractor resubmits, and both sides have a written trail.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Overtime or Weekend Rates">
    If your contract has tiered rates, the timesheet captures units at the contracted base rate. For overtime line items, coordinate with the contractor. Often cleanest as a separate one-off payment rather than stuffed into a timesheet.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Scope Creep Shows up in a Timesheet">
    If the submitted work goes beyond the original scope, you have two paths: approve and pay (accepting the scope creep), or reject and renegotiate the scope first (then resubmit). Decide based on your relationship and what's been formally agreed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Contractor Is Unsure What Rate Applies">
    They should ask you before submitting. The submission form shows `rate × units = total` using the contract's base rate. If the real answer is different, get it clarified upfront.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Automation Limits

Timesheets are **always manual to approve**, even with [auto-pay](/employer/automation) enabled on the workspace. Auto-pay applies to already-approved payments on a contract schedule; it doesn't approve timesheets on your behalf. Approval is a human judgment call, and Shor treats it that way.

Once a timesheet IS approved, the resulting payment can flow through auto-pay if that's your setting.

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Payroll" icon="money-check-dollar" href="/employer/payroll">
    How approved timesheets flow into payments.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Hiring Contractors" icon="handshake" href="/employer/hiring-contractors">
    Setting up a PAYG contract in the first place.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Milestones" icon="flag-checkered" href="/employer/milestones">
    The other path for deliverable-based work.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>