Assign Timesheet Approvers

Every employee who needs to submit a timesheet must have a Timesheet Approver assigned. In ClickTime this is called the Default Approver. As an Administrator or Manager, you can assign approvers one person at a time from the employee’s profile or update many employees at once from the People list. If your organization uses Divisional Permissions, a Manager’s division scope determines which employees they are allowed to approve. This article explains prerequisites, how the approver list is populated, how to assign approvers individually or in bulk, how division scope and permissions interact, and who receives email notifications. It also covers common scenarios and troubleshooting tips.

Before you start

• Confirm your account has the Timesheet Approvals module enabled.
• Decide who will approve timesheets:
  • Administrators can approve for anyone.
  • Managers can approve only with the correct permissions in place.
• If using Division Permissions, set up Manager division access first so the right approvers appear in the dropdown later.

How the approver dropdown is populated

When you assign a Default Approver to an employee, the dropdown includes:

• All Administrators
• Managers who:
  • Have Review timesheets and Lock and approve timesheets permissions, and
  • Have scope over the employee (All people, or the employee’s Division(s) if division permissions are enabled)
    
    
    

If a Manager does not meet these conditions, they will not appear in the dropdown.

Assign an approver to one employee

1. Go to Company → People and click the edit pencil for the employee.
2. In Timesheet Settings & Approvals, select Edit Section.
3. Check Timesheets are approved by and choose the approver from the dropdown.
4. Click Update to save.

Tip: If you don’t see the intended Manager, verify their permissions and division scope.

Change approvers in bulk

Administrators can update many employees at once from the People list.

1. Go to Company → People.
2. Sort by Division, Employment Type, or other criteria if helpful.
3. Select the employees to update.
4. Open Actions and choose Change Timesheet Approver to….
5. Select the new approver and apply.

What changes immediately? The selected employees’ Default Approver is updated for the next submission. Already submitted/approved periods keep their original approver of record.

Division Permissions 

• Administrators always have approval access for all employees.
• Managers must have both permissions:
  1. In Security & Permissions: enable Review timesheets and Lock and approve timesheets.
  2. Set Approval scope to either All people or People in specific divisions. If the latter, add the relevant divisions to Selected Divisions.

Important: Any Manager with approval access to a Division can approve for any employee in that Division. Only the assigned Default Approver receives the submission email, but other scoped Managers can still approve or reject as needed.

Who gets notified

• Submission: The assigned Default Approver receives an email. They can also see pending items on Company → Dashboard.
• Approval: The employee can opt to receive an approval confirmation.
• Rejection: The employee always receives an email that includes the approver’s comment.

Tip: Coverage workflow (Managers approving on behalf)

When the Default Approver is OOO or unavailable, a appropriately permissioned Manager can cover approvals without changing the Default Approver.

1. Verify permissions & scope: Covering Manager must have Review timesheets and Lock and approve timesheets, and access to the employee (All people or the employee’s Division).
2. Open Timesheet Review: Go to Company → Timesheets and filter to the employee/period.
3. Approve or Reject: Click Approve (or Reject). A confirmation modal will indicate you’re approving in place of [Default Approver Name].
   
4. Notify the team (optional): If needed, let the employee/Default Approver know you covered the approval.

• No submission email is sent to covering Managers; only the Default Approver receives it.
• The Company → Dashboard will not show a pending card for covering Managers.
• For extended coverage, consider updating the Default Approver (single or bulk) to route future submissions correctly.
• Approval history remains intact; Timesheet History records who approved and when (Audit Log shows this too, if enabled).

Troubleshooting

• Employee cannot submit
  • Cause: No Default Approver assigned.
  • Fix: Assign an approver in Timesheet Settings & Approvals or via the Change Timesheet Approver bulk action.
    
• Manager not visible in the approver dropdown
  • Cause: Missing permissions or lacking division scope for the employee.
  • Fix: Enable Review timesheets and Lock and approve timesheets, then confirm All people or add the employee’s Division(s) to the Manager’s scope.
• Manager cannot reject or unlock
  • Cause: Org setting prevents Managers from unlocking after approval.
  • Fix: An Administrator must enable the setting that allows Managers to Unlock/Unapprove when they also have Lock and approve timesheets permission (Company → Preferences → Security Settings).
    

FAQs

Can we assign more than one approver to an employee?
Not as Default Approvers. Each employee has a single Default Approver who receives the submission email. However, any Administrator or Manager with the right permissions and division scope can approve or reject from Timesheet Review—useful for coverage when the Default Approver is out.

What happens if the Default Approver leaves or changes roles?
Update the employee’s Default Approver (individually or in bulk). Historical approvals stay intact. New submissions after the change route to the new approver.

Can we temporarily delegate approvals?
There isn’t a special “delegate” setting. For temporary coverage, have another Manager (with the same division scope) or an Administrator approve from Timesheet Review. No extra configuration is required beyond permissions/scope.

Will non-Default Approvers receive submission emails?
No. Only the Default Approver is emailed on submission. Other Managers/Admins with scope can approve from Timesheet Review but do not see a pending-approval card on Company → Dashboard if they are not the Default Approver. Before approving, they’ll see a confirmation modal indicating they are approving in place of [Default Approver Name].

Do we have to assign a Default Approver for everyone?
If your org is using Timesheet Approvals, yes—each employee who needs to submit a timesheet must have a Default Approver. Without one, the employee can’t submit.

What happens to in-progress or already-submitted periods when we change the Default Approver?
In-progress: When the employee submits after the change, notifications go to the new approver. Already submitted/approved: They keep the original approver of record; approval history doesn’t change.

How do divisions affect who can approve?
Managers with Review timesheets and Lock and approve timesheets can approve for employees within their scope. If scope is set to specific divisions, they can approve for anyone in those divisions—even if they’re not the Default Approver.

Can Managers reject or unlock approved timesheets?
Yes, if your org allows it. An Admin must enable the security option that lets Managers Unlock/Unapprove when they also have Lock and approve timesheets permission (Company → Preferences → Security Settings).