One record explains the work; the other checks the period
Treating every time entry as a timesheet makes review harder than it needs to be. A manager usually needs two views. At task level, they need enough context to decide whether an entry belongs to the project and whether it is billable. At week level, they need to know whether the person’s record is complete.
That is why the distinction matters. A work log can be corrected while the week is still in draft. The timesheet becomes the control point: submitted, returned, approved, or locked. Approval should preserve the underlying entries rather than flatten them into one total.
| Question | Work log | Timesheet |
|---|---|---|
| What does it represent? | One activity or task entry | A person’s complete review period |
| Main context | Project, task, date, duration, notes | Completeness, totals, exceptions, status |
| Typical owner | Person doing the work | Person submitting the period |
| Typical reviewer | Project or line manager | Manager or operations approver |
| Billing role | Evidence for an eligible hour | Approval gate before invoicing |
Capture the minimum context that survives review
A timer start and stop is not enough for professional services work. The entry should identify the project and task, the date, the duration, whether it is billable, and a short note when the task name alone cannot explain the work. More fields are not automatically better; every required field should support delivery, compliance, or billing.
Use consistent duration rules. Decide whether people enter exact minutes, rounded increments, or start and end times. Apply the same rule to budgets, reports, and invoices. A system that stores minutes but reports decimal hours must use one documented conversion and rounding policy.
Design approval around exceptions
Managers should not reread every ordinary entry with equal attention. A useful review view surfaces missing days, unusually long entries, work outside the project window, non-billable time on a billable task, and changes made after submission.
When a reviewer returns a timesheet, the reason should be attached to the record. The person corrects the source work log and resubmits. Editing an approved total in a separate billing sheet breaks the audit trail and leaves delivery reports out of sync.
- Keep draft, submitted, returned, approved, and locked states distinct.
- Record who changed or approved an entry and when.
- Reopen approved periods through a controlled action.
- Make local legal and contractual requirements part of the policy design.
Time records are operational evidence, not automatic compliance
Working-time obligations differ by jurisdiction, contract, worker status, and purpose. For example, the EU Working Time Directive sets minimum requirements around weekly limits, rest, breaks, and leave, while national law determines implementation. A project timesheet may support those records without satisfying every employment requirement.
Define why each time record exists and ask qualified advisers which records must be retained. Product configuration should follow the policy; it should not be treated as legal advice.
Sources and scope
These guides explain operating practice, not legal, tax, employment, or accounting advice. The primary sources below support the regulatory or professional context referenced in this article.
Continue in Wakti