Mobile App Timesheets

What are Timesheets?

Timesheets track the hours your team works. Staff can start/stop timers while on the job, or manually add hours later. This helps with:

• Payroll (knowing who worked what hours)
• Job costing (tracking labor costs per job)
• Billing customers (invoicing for actual time worked)
• Productivity tracking

Where to find it: Tap "Timesheets" in the bottom navigation bar

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Mobile app bottom tab with Timesheets icon highlighted]

Two Ways to Track Time

Start/Stop Timer (Most Common)

Clock in when work starts, clock out when finished. Timer runs in real-time tracking your hours.

Manual Entry

Add timesheet entries after the fact if you forgot to start the timer or worked offline.

Using the Timer

Starting a Timer

Starting a timer is straightforward. Go to the Timesheets tab and tap the "Start Timer" button at the top. Select what you're working on - either choose a specific job to link the time to customer work, or select "Non-Job Time" for things like admin, travel, or breaks. You can optionally add a note like "Installing ducting" to remember what you did. Tap "Start" and the timer begins counting.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Start timer screen with job selector and note field]

While Timer is Running

You'll see the running timer at the top of the Timesheets screen:

• Job name (or "Non-Job Time")
• Elapsed time counting up (e.g., "1h 23m")
• Pause button
• Stop button

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Running timer display showing elapsed time]

Pausing the Timer

Need a break? Tap "Pause":

• Timer stops counting
• Time is saved
• Tap "Resume" to continue
• Paused time doesn't count toward total

Good for:

• Lunch breaks
• Waiting for customer approval
• Running to get supplies

Stopping the Timer and Completing Jobs

When work finishes:

1. Tap "Finish Visit" on the running timer
2. Choose what to do:

If job is complete:

• Complete & Invoice Now - Marks job done, creates invoice ready to finalize
• Complete & Invoice Later - Marks job done, creates draft invoice for later
• Job Not Complete - Just stops timer, job stays active

If work's not finished:

• Job Not Complete - Stops your timer without completing the job

The timer stops and your timesheet entry saves. This streamlines finishing jobs on-site.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Finish Visit modal showing completion options]

Viewing Your Timesheets

The main Timesheets screen shows all your time entries:

What you see:

• Running timer at top (if active)
• List of entries below, grouped by week
• Each entry shows:
  • Date worked
  • Job name or "Non-Job Time"
  • Total hours (e.g., "3.5 hours")
  • Start and end times
  • Note (if you added one)

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Timesheets list showing multiple entries]

Grouping by Week

Entries group into weeks:

• This Week section
• Last Week section
• Earlier section

This helps you see weekly totals and find recent entries quickly.

Filtering by User

If you're a manager or admin, you can view other staff members' timesheets:

1. Tap "All Staff" or your name (top right)
2. Pick a team member
3. Their timesheets show
4. Useful for approvals or payroll

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Staff filter showing team member selection]

Manual Timesheet Entries

Forgot to start the timer? Add time manually:

How to Add Manual Entry

1. On Timesheets tab, tap "+" button (floating action button)
2. Select "Add Timesheet Entry"
3. Fill in details:
   • Job (or "Non-Job Time")
   • Date
   • Start time
   • End time
   • Notes (optional)
4. Tap "Save"
5. Entry appears in your list

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Manual timesheet entry form]

When to Use Manual Entry

Common scenarios:

• Forgot to start timer in the morning
• Worked offline without phone
• Recording yesterday's work
• Backdating time for completed jobs
• Estimating time when exact tracking wasn't possible

Editing Timesheet Entries

Need to fix a mistake? Edit saved entries:

1. Tap the timesheet entry you want to change
2. Entry detail view opens
3. Tap "Edit" (if available)
4. Change start time, end time, job, or notes
5. Tap "Save"

Note: Some businesses lock timesheets after approval. If you can't edit, ask your manager.

[IMAGE PLACEHOLDER: Timesheet entry detail with Edit button]

Deleting Timesheet Entries

To remove an incorrect entry:

1. Tap the entry
2. Tap "Delete" button
3. Confirm deletion
4. Entry is removed

Important: Deleted entries can't be recovered. Double-check before deleting.

Time Entry Best Practices

For Accuracy

• Start timer when work begins - don't wait
• Stop timer when leaving site - don't forget
• Add notes to remember what you did
• Review at end of day - catch any missing entries
• Link to jobs whenever possible (helps with job costing)

For Managers

• Review team timesheets weekly - before payroll
• Look for suspicious entries (e.g., 16-hour days, overlapping times)
• Approve timesheets (if your system requires it)
• Check non-job time isn't excessive

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• ❌ Leaving timer running overnight
• ❌ Not selecting the correct job
• ❌ Forgetting to pause for breaks/lunch
• ❌ Manual entries with overlapping times
• ❌ Not adding notes (hard to remember later what you did)

Timesheets and Invoicing

How timesheets connect to billing:

When you track time on a job, that time can be:

• Added to invoices as labor line items
• Used to calculate labor costs
• Referenced when quoting future similar jobs
• Analyzed for profitability

See Editing Invoice Line Items for adding labor to invoices.

Sync and Offline Use

With internet:

• Timers sync immediately
• Entries save to server in real-time
• You see everyone's timesheets (if manager)

Without internet:

• Timers still work and count locally
• Entries are saved to your device
• Data syncs when you reconnect
• No data is lost

Notifications and Reminders

Timer running too long? You may get a notification if a timer has been running for many hours (e.g., 10+ hours) to remind you to stop it. This prevents accidental overnight timers.

Forgot to clock in? Some businesses set up reminders to start your timer at the start of the day. Check with your manager if this is enabled.

Common Questions

Can I run multiple timers at once? No. You can only have one timer running at a time. Stop or pause the current timer before starting a new one.

What happens if I close the app while timer is running? Timer keeps running in the background. When you reopen the app, it shows the correct elapsed time.

Can I edit a running timer? No. Stop the timer first, then edit the saved entry if needed.

Do pauses show up in the timesheet? No. Only the total worked time (start to stop, minus pauses) is recorded. Pauses reduce your total hours.

Can customers see our timesheets? No. Timesheets are internal only. They never appear on quotes or invoices unless you manually add the hours as labor line items.

Next Steps

• Mobile App Schedule Views - View your bookings on mobile
• Editing Invoice Line Items - Add labor hours to invoices
• Understanding Jobs - Link time tracking to customer jobs