As described in Payroll Processing Schedule the input date is the deadline when you must review, lock, approve, and transmit all timesheets. The information that follows addresses how supervisors and managers can lock timesheets each pay period and how the payroll administrator can lock timesheets, in preparation for the time export on the input date. These sections also describe functions that the manager and payroll or HR administrators can perform during timesheet approval.
The general process flow for approving timesheets and transmitting the payroll file is as follows:
- WFM task:
- Supervisor weekly approvals
- HR or Payroll administrator tasks:
- Look for potential problems
- Lock timesheets
- Approve the pay run
- Commit the pay run
- Save the pay run
- Transmit a test and review test results
- Transmit the pay run
Supervisor Weekly Approvals
Supervisors (WFM) should review their employee timesheets daily or multiple times during a week to check for possible errors before approving timesheets. Supervisors should review timesheets for the following:
- Recording worked shifts: If an employee's time and attendance records don’t include all of the shifts that they worked, correct the problem by recording a new worked shift on the timesheet. You can add absences and sicknesses to the timesheet, as necessary.
- Editing recorded shifts: If the employee-recorded shifts are inaccurate, edit the shift details by changing start or end times or by adding or removing meals and breaks and then adding any necessary pay adjustments. For example, correct any missed clock entries or mark OK or not OK on any early or late clock entries.
- Entering time away from work: If employees have access to their timesheets, they can request time away from work (TAFW). Employees can request TAFW in Dayforce or request that their manager enter TAFW for them.
HR or Payroll Administrator Tasks
Important: To complete the pay approval checklist to lock the timesheets, you must have access to Pay Admin Checklist and to the corresponding organizational units so you can perform the WFM approval. For specific information about using the Pay Admin Checklist feature, see the Pay Approval Guide.
Typically, HR or payroll administrators are responsible for the final review of the timesheets, following the review by managers and supervisors before locking them. After a pay period for a specific pay group is approved, the WFM data can be closed, and the pay run can be locked and ready for payroll input.
The following screenshot illustrates the Pay Admin Checklist screen with the Lock and Approve buttons highlighted:
To see details for a pay run for a pay group:
- Go to Pay Admin Checklist.
- In the Pay Groups column, filter by pay group and pay period dates.
- In the Exceptions column, look for any problems (such as unauthorized time entries, and so forth) and resolve them, then proceed to the next step.
- Click Lock to lock the timesheets for the pay run.
- Click Approve to approve the timesheets for the pay run.
- Click Commit to commit the timesheets for the pay run and send the time file to the in-country provider.
HR or payroll administrators should first address any errors and then proceed to lock, approve, and commit the pay period by selecting the checkboxes and then clicking Save. Lastly, after the pay period is locked, approved, and saved, be sure to click Refresh, and send the information to the payroll partner.
If you are using Dayforce Link to export employee data to the payroll partner, you can click Transmit Options and then Transmit to Payroll.
If you are using the API to export employee data to the payroll partner, you can click Transmit Options and then Test Transmit. Be sure to save the file and then upload it to the appropriate secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) folder where the payroll partner will retrieve the file. Retro pay adjustments will not occur automatically when you click Test Transmit, because retros are triggered only after you click Transmit to Payroll.
Dayforce routes the time file to a secure SFTP server. The payroll partner then performs initial processing to receive preliminary results from the payroll. At this point, you can refresh the screen to see that your selected pay period has a status of completed, denoted by a green checkmark.