> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/field-operations/timecards/review-approve-or-send-back-timecards.md). # Review, approve, or send back timecards The Timecards page is where managers review each technician's hours for the current pay period and approve them for payroll, or send a timecard back for changes. **Before you start:** Time cards must be turned on for your business, and your role needs the timecard-manage permission. See [Set up Time & Pay for timecards](/administration/settings/set-up-time-and-pay-for-timecards.md). ## Find a technician's timecard The left pane lists every technician with time in the current pay period — Technician, Hours, Flags, and Status columns. Flags call out overtime (an "OT" pill with the hours) and any manual or corrected entries; a technician with neither shows "clean." Use the arrows beside the period label to step to an earlier or later pay period; there's no limit on how far back you can go. Click a technician to open their full timecard on the right: each day shows its clocked and manual entries, with the time range, duration, and how the entry was recorded — Clocked, Edited (a correction to a clocked entry), or Manual. Times display in your business's timezone. ## Approve or send back A timecard can be approved or sent back once a technician has submitted it (status Submitted). Open it and: * Click **Approve** to accept the hours as they stand. * Click **Send back** and enter a note describing what needs to change; the technician sees your note and can edit their entries again. Anyone with the timecard-manage permission can approve any timecard in the queue, including their own. Approval freezes an immutable payroll revision: its entries, paid hours, regular/overtime split, travel treatment, and the payroll policy used for the calculation no longer change. If late clock activity or a Time & Pay setting change would produce a different result, the original approval stays visible and the card is flagged **Needs reapproval**. Payroll remains not ready to export until a manager opens the card, clicks **Send back for reapproval**, and approves the corrected card as a new revision. A card approved during the rollout without a usable immutable revision is also marked **Needs reapproval** and must go through that same send-back and approval flow. Essential does not rewrite an earlier approval during deployment. Open clocks in the card's payroll workweeks must be closed before the card can be approved. ## Statuses * **Open** — the technician hasn't submitted this period yet. * **Submitted** — waiting on manager review. * **Approved** — accepted; included in payroll reporting. * **Sent back** — returned to the technician with a note; they can edit and resubmit. > **Where to find it:** Click Timecards in the left navigation. ## Related guides * [Timecard statuses and overtime rules](/field-operations/timecards/timecard-statuses-and-overtime-rules.md) * [Payroll and timecard reports](/reporting-and-integrations/reporting/payroll-and-timecard-reports.md) * [Set up Time & Pay for timecards](/administration/settings/set-up-time-and-pay-for-timecards.md) * [Track and submit your timecard on mobile](/field-operations/mobile/track-and-submit-your-timecard.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://learn.withessential.com/field-operations/timecards/review-approve-or-send-back-timecards.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.