Timekeeping review before the payroll cutoff

A timekeeping review should start with the source record, not the payroll total. Compare the clock entries, the approved timesheet, and the manager sign-off for the same pay period. A total that matches payroll can still hide an unapproved adjustment. Record the employee, the pay period, the regular hours, the overtime hours, the paid leave, and the approver.

If the employee works in more than one location or role, record the split. The reviewer should be able to see how the total was built. Distinguish a missing punch from a corrected punch. A missing punch may require the employee to reconstruct the time and the manager to approve it. A corrected punch should show the original value and the reason for the change.

Overtime rules depend on the employee's status, the jurisdiction, and the employer's policy. The reviewer should not calculate overtime from a generic assumption. Record the rule or the source used and the owner who confirmed it. If the employee is non-exempt, compare the hours worked with the applicable threshold and the approved overtime.

If the employee is exempt, record the basis for the classification and route any question to the authorized HR or legal owner. The timekeeping team should not reclassify an employee to solve a payroll problem. A holiday, a shift differential, or a bonus may change the calculation. Record the input and the source so the payroll team can reproduce the result. A manual adjustment without a source is a finding.

The timekeeping review should produce a short exception list before the payroll cutoff. Common exceptions include a missing punch, an unapproved overtime entry, a leave hour that does not match the leave record, and a location split that does not match the schedule. Each exception needs an owner and a next check. A missing punch goes to the employee and the manager.

An overtime question goes to the manager and, when required, the payroll or HR owner. A leave mismatch goes to the leave administrator. Do not release the payroll file with an unresolved exception unless the authorized owner accepts the risk and records the reason. A late correction is usually more expensive than a short delay.

The manager sign-off should show the pay period, the total hours, the overtime, and the date of approval. A signature on a summary that does not match the underlying entries is not enough. The reviewer should be able to connect the approval to the record. If the manager is unavailable, use the named backup and record the delegation.

Do not accept an approval from someone who does not have the authority to approve the time. A verbal approval should be written into the record before release. A manager who repeatedly approves late should be treated as a process problem, not only an individual issue. Check the cutoff reminder, the approval tool, and the manager's schedule before escalating.

Paid leave, unpaid leave, and absence should match the leave record and the payroll instruction. A leave hour that appears in payroll without an approved leave record is an exception. A leave record that never reaches payroll is also an exception. Record the leave type, the dates, the hours, and the approval.

If the employee has an intermittent leave arrangement, compare the reported hours with the approved schedule. The reviewer should not guess which absence is covered. When the records disagree, route the question to the leave administrator and the payroll owner. Keep the payroll entry open until the authorized owner decides. The employee should receive a clear explanation of any delay.

Time records contain personal and payroll information. Limit access to the named timekeeping, payroll, and management roles. Do not send a full timesheet through an ordinary email when the approved system can hold it. Record who changed a time entry, when, and why.

A system that allows an edit without a reason cannot support a reliable review. If the tool does not capture the reason, use a separate change log with the same identifiers. Review access when a manager or payroll team member changes role. A former manager should not be able to edit time records after the handoff. Confirm the removal and keep the record with the access review.

After payroll, sample a few employees and compare the approved time, the payroll total, and the pay stub. Include an employee with overtime, one with leave, and one with a correction. The sample should show whether the review caught the issue before release. Record the number of employees sampled, the number of exceptions found, and the number corrected before payroll.

A high number of corrections after payroll may mean the cutoff review is too late or too shallow. Choose one change for the next cycle. It might be an earlier cutoff reminder, a required exception note, or a manager approval report. Name the owner and the next sample date.

The close should show the pay period, the approved total, the exceptions resolved, the exceptions accepted, and the payroll file release time. A later reviewer should be able to see what was reviewed and what was left open. If the payroll file was released with an accepted exception, record the approver and the reason. Do not hide the exception in a separate email. The close record is the place where the decision becomes visible. Keep the record with the payroll period and the timekeeping source. A short, consistent close is more useful than a long narrative that cannot be compared across periods.