{"id":132,"date":"2021-01-18T16:34:53","date_gmt":"2021-01-18T16:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/?post_type=ht_kb&#038;p=132"},"modified":"2026-01-22T22:14:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T22:14:19","slug":"approving-time-with-approvals-user-guide","status":"publish","type":"ht_kb","link":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/knowledge-base\/approving-time-with-approvals-user-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Approving time with the Approvals page"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Approvals page is designed for supervisors and administrators to efficiently approve timesheets in bulk at the end of a pay period. It provides a single page where they can review time data for multiple employees, or even all employees, at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Navigating to the Approvals page<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In the main left navigation menu within Time and Attendance, open the <strong>End of Period Procedures<\/strong> folder.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select <strong>Approvals<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"252\" height=\"119\" src=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/image-3.png 252w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/image-3-50x24.png 50w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/image-3-60x28.png 60w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2022\/10\/image-3-100x47.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Approvals landing page opens.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"3\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click the <strong>LAUNCH APPROVALS<\/strong> button at the bottom left of the screen.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"152\" height=\"33\" src=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-30.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-134\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-30.png 152w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-30-150x33.png 150w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-30-50x11.png 50w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-30-60x13.png 60w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-30-100x22.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 152px) 100vw, 152px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>The Approvals page will open in a new window or tab.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reviewing the Approvals page<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"770\" height=\"371\" src=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-135\" srcset=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31.png 770w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31-300x145.png 300w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31-768x370.png 768w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31-50x24.png 50w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31-60x29.png 60w, https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/image-31-100x48.png 100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Filtering\/sorting options\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Approval List<\/strong> \u2013 Approval page selection (if more than one exists)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Filter <\/strong>\u2013 Filters the Approval page contents to a specified subset of employees based on the selection of one of the following options:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Display All <\/strong>\u2013 All employees, regardless of approval status<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Approved Only <\/strong>\u2013 Employees who have been approved<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unapproved Only <\/strong>\u2013 Employees who are not approved<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supervisor Approved <\/strong>\u2013 Employees who have a supervisor approval<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supervisor Unapproved <\/strong>\u2013 Employees who do not have a supervisor approval<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employee Approved <\/strong>\u2013 Employees who have an employee approval<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employee Unapproved <\/strong>\u2013 Employees who do not have an employee approval<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sort <\/strong>\u2013 Sorts the Approval page contents based on the selection of one of the following options:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Employee \u2013 <\/strong>Employees listed in alphabetical order<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pay Group \u2013 <\/strong>Employees listed by assigned Pay Group<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Supervisor \u2013 <\/strong>Employees listed by assigned supervisor<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Approval checkboxes\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sup. App.<\/strong> \u2013 A check in this box indicates the supervisor approval is completed.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Emp. App. <\/strong>\u2013 A check in this box indicates the employee approval is completed. (This field may or may not be activated depending on company setup.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Employee<\/strong> \u2013 Employee names. The data on the remainder of the page corresponds directly to the employee name listed in each row.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Timesheet Information<\/strong> \u2013 Breakout of employee hours and a requests and audits counter. Columns in this section will vary based on company setup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Timesheet <\/strong>\u2013 Buttons that allow additional interaction with employee hours and dollars while the Approvals page remains open. Depending on security and company setup, options may include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>&nbsp;Punches <\/strong>\u2013 Opens the Punches page in a pop-up window<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;<strong>Hours<\/strong> \u2013 Opens the Hours page in a pop-up window<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>&nbsp;<strong>Dollars <\/strong>\u2013 Opens the Dollars page in a pop-up window<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Timing of approvals<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When timesheets are approved, they become locked down to any further editing unless unapproved by the approver\u2019s supervisor or the system administrator. Timesheets should therefore not be approved until all time has been entered for the pay period. When paying current, time may also need to be approved prior to exporting data for payroll.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Approving time using the Approvals page<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the Approvals page is loaded, the user should follow the steps below to approve time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find the row(s) of the employee(s) to approve.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review time and use the timesheet buttons at the far right of the rows to edit as necessary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click the <strong>appropriate checkbox or checkboxes<\/strong> to approve.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Emp. App.<\/strong> \u2013 Used to mark the time as employee approved. There are many ways to interact with this field, including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A supervisor or system administrator can mark their own time as approved using this box.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A supervisor or system administrator can often approve on behalf of the employee in case of absence, depending on company setup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If the employee approves their time from the Total Hours page, the checkbox will become checked on the Approvals page automatically. For additional information, see the \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/knowledge-base\/reviewing-and-approving-time-using-total-hours\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Total Hours<\/a>\u201d user guide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Depending on your company&#8217;s setup, employees may need to complete their approvals before the supervisor checkbox becomes available for selection.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sup. App.<\/strong> \u2013 Used to mark the time as supervisor approved. There are two ways to interact with this field, including:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A supervisor or system administrator can approve for the employees that they have access to.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The supervisor approving the time may have their own supervisor approval checkbox greyed out, meaning that their supervisor or system administrator must complete that approval.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending on your company&#8217;s setup, employees may need to complete their approvals before the supervisor checkbox becomes available for selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4. Click <strong>Save<\/strong> to lock the approvals into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If any missing punches or outstanding requests exist, an error will appear and the time will not be approved for the employees with the outstanding errors. These errors must be resolved prior to completing the approvals.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>A confirmation will appear if the approvals are successful.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unapproving time using the Approvals page<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the Approvals page is loaded, the user should follow the below steps to unapprove time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Find the row(s) of the employee(s) to unapprove.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Uncheck the <strong>appropriate checkbox or checkboxes<\/strong> to unapprove time.\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It may be required to have the supervisor unapproval completed prior to the employee approval checkbox becoming available for selection, depending on company setup.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If an unapproval is required within the supervisor checkbox, it may require a higher-level supervisor or system administrator.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click <strong>Save.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is there a way to sort or filter my employees on the Approvals page?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Both filtering and sorting options are available and recommended for use, located at the top right of the Approvals page. It is especially helpful for system administrators to sort by \u201cSupervisor\u201d and filter by one of the \u201cUnapproved\u201d options to quickly see who still needs approval and which supervisor to follow up with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alternatively, a more specific filter can be set on the overall employee list on the main Time and Attendance screen prior to launching the Approvals page, which will, in turn, also filter the Approvals page based on that list. This method is often used when there are multiple pay periods and, therefore, approvals must be done for separate groups of employees at varying times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Download the user guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-file\"><a id=\"wp-block-file--media-7c4d3e61-995b-4646-a02a-b10b557dc02b\" href=\"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2021\/01\/Approvals-User-Guide-1.pdf\">Approving Time with Approvals: User Guide<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Approvals page is designed for supervisors and administrators to efficiently approve timesheets in bulk at the end of a pay period. It provides a single page where they can review time data for multiple employees, or even all employees, at once. Navigating to the Approvals page The Approvals landing&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"ht-kb-category":[8],"ht-kb-tag":[62,60,104,103],"class_list":["post-132","ht_kb","type-ht_kb","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","ht_kb_category-time-entry-and-review","ht_kb_tag-approve-time-sheet","ht_kb_tag-approve-timecard","ht_kb_tag-un-approve","ht_kb_tag-unapprove"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/132","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/ht_kb"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=132"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/132\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4266,"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb\/132\/revisions\/4266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=132"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-category?post=132"},{"taxonomy":"ht_kb_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/help.insperity.com\/bps\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ht-kb-tag?post=132"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}