The short answer
Before anyone automates timesheets into payroll, count the ones that need a person to decide. Log each one in a register, give it a category from a fixed list, and name who settles it. After a few weeks you can see how many timesheets are routine, and which reasons keep coming back.
A routine timesheet can be checked by rules. An exception cannot. A missing day, an overlap or an unapproved overtime claim needs someone who knows the facts. This register makes that work visible, so it is planned and not a surprise on payroll day.
Which timesheets need a person, in two minutes
In under three minutes you will know how to count the timesheets that need a person, what to log for each one, and what to fix first.
Every example in the video is made up to show the method.
The words of the video
Do some timesheets hold up your weekly payroll run? Before you automate anything, give me three minutes. I'll show you a simple register that counts the ones needing a person, and why.
First, what is it? A timesheet looks wrong, so you log it in one row. You give it a reason from a fixed list. Then you name who decides, and note when it clears.
Here's what I've learned. Most timesheets are routine, and a rule can check them. But a missing day or an overlap needs someone who knows the facts. So count those few, and payroll day stops being a surprise.
Here's a made up example. Worker A's sheet is missing, and the line manager clears it in under two hours. Worker C's overtime has no sign off, so it waits until Tuesday.
Here's a made up month for one team. Out of fifty two timesheets, forty six were routine. Six needed a person, and most cleared within a morning. Automation would remove the routine checking and leave that short list.
So here's the register. Each odd timesheet gets one row. Give it a category from a fixed list, and name who decides. Then note the outcome, and when it was logged and cleared.
If one category dominates, look at its cause. In my experience, many missing sheets point at how sheets are collected. A rule cannot cope with bad input, so fix that first.
One more thing I always check. If rows wait a long time, the decider is usually unavailable. I'd ask who covers each decider when they're away.
So that's the register. A few weeks show how many sheets are routine, and which reasons keep coming back. Then you know what to fix first, and what a person keeps.
The register, the category list and made up sample rows are free on shurco.ai. Keep it for four weekly runs.
1. Log every exception once, when you find it
Use one row for each timesheet that cannot go through as submitted. Write who it belongs to, when you found it and what looked wrong. Do this during the check, not on Friday from memory.
2. Give each row one category
Pick from the category sheet below. One row gets one main category. If two things are wrong, log the one that stops payment first. A fixed list can be counted. Free text cannot.
3. Name who decides
For each category, write down who has the answer. A line manager knows if overtime was agreed. The payroll lead knows the pay code rules. A row with no named decider is a gap in your process, and the register shows it.
4. Record the outcome and when it cleared
Write what was decided, such as corrected, approved as submitted, held or sent back. Add the day and time it cleared. The gap between logged and cleared shows which categories hold up the run.
5. Count at the end of each run
Count the timesheets received and the rows in the register. Then count rows by category. Do this for four weeks. The top two categories show where the manual work really sits.
The blank register
One row per exception, filled in during the weekly check. Keep it with the timesheets.
| Entry ref | Worker | Logged (day, time) | Category | What looks wrong | Who decides | Outcome | Cleared (day, time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Download this sheet as a file for Excel
The categories
A starting list. Change the names to suit your firm, then keep them fixed for the whole trial.
| Category | What it looks like | Who usually decides | Can a rule settle it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing timesheet | No sheet by the cut off | Line manager | Only to flag it |
| Impossible times | Overlapping shifts or a day over 24 hours | Worker and line manager | Only to flag it |
| Unapproved overtime | Hours above contract with no sign off | Line manager | Partly |
| Missing break | Long shift with no break recorded | Payroll lead | Partly |
| Wrong job code | Code not on the current job list | Line manager | Partly |
| Leave clash | Hours worked on a day of booked leave | Line manager | Only to flag it |
| Pay rate query | Shift type does not match the rate | Payroll lead | No |
| Late submission | Arrives after the cut off | Payroll lead | No |
| Other | Anything not listed above | Payroll lead | No |
Download this sheet as a file for Excel
Labelled sample rows
Made up example. Every row here is made up to show the method. Worker A and the others are not real people.
| Entry ref | Worker | Logged (day, time) | Category | What looks wrong | Who decides | Outcome | Cleared (day, time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX-01 | Worker A | Mon 09.30 | Missing timesheet | Nothing received for the week | Line manager | Sheet supplied and corrected | Mon 11.15 |
| TX-02 | Worker B | Mon 09.42 | Impossible times | Two shifts overlap on Wednesday | Line manager | Second shift removed | Mon 10.20 |
| TX-03 | Worker C | Mon 10.05 | Unapproved overtime | 6 hours above contract, no sign off | Line manager | Approved as submitted | Tue 08.50 |
| TX-04 | Worker D | Mon 10.30 | Wrong job code | Code J-77 is not on the job list | Line manager | Changed to J-71 | Mon 13.00 |
| TX-05 | Worker E | Mon 11.10 | Leave clash | Hours on a booked leave day | Line manager | Held | Tue 09.30 |
| TX-06 | Worker F | Mon 14.25 | Pay rate query | Night shift paid at day rate | Payroll lead | Rate corrected | Mon 15.40 |
Download this sheet as a file for Excel
How to read the register
If exceptions are a small share of timesheets and most clear within an hour, the manual part is light. Automation would remove the routine checking and leave a short list for a person.
If one category dominates, look at its cause. Many missing sheets point at how sheets are collected. Many wrong job codes point at an out of date job list. Fix those first, because a rule cannot cope with bad input.
If rows wait a long time to clear, the delay is usually the decider being unavailable. Name cover for each decider.
What can change the answer
A bank holiday week, a new starter group or a change of pay rules will give a different mix. Note these weeks and look at them apart from the rest.
A very large site or team can hide small problems in the totals. Add a column for site or team if your firm has more than one.
When this is the wrong tool
If timesheets are already entered once in a system that checks them as they go, there is little to log. Look at the rows that still reach payroll by hand.
The register counts the exceptions. It does not settle disputes about pay, and it does not replace a judgement about a person's circumstances. Those stay with a manager and the payroll lead.
What the counts tell you
| Count | How to work it out | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Exception rate | Rows in the register divided by timesheets received | How much of the run needs a person |
| Top two categories | Count rows by category and rank them | Where the manual work sits |
| Time to clear | Cleared time minus logged time, by category | Which reasons hold up the run |
| Rows with no decider | Rows where the Who decides box stayed empty | Gaps in who owns the answer |
What to do with the result
Take the exception rate, the top two categories and the clearing times to whoever would build or buy the automation. Ask how they would handle each top category, and what they would send to a person.
For a view of which task to automate first, the tool on this site takes the same facts and gives a plain answer.