Timesheets are the actual-cost record, not another layer of planning — it's what makes cost and earned-value reporting trustworthy.

A submit-then-approve/reject cycle replaces self-reported spreadsheets with a decision someone is accountable for.

Approved hours can be costed against a rate matrix, including different rates for overtime and for specific attendance/absence types.

Every rejection carries a required comment, and every status change is tracked — useful evidence in an inspection or client audit.

Non-project Timesheet Codes let people log leave, admin, or training time without forcing it onto a project task.

Managers can bulk-approve a batch of submitted timesheets from a single report instead of opening each one.

• Actual vs. planned hours per order — compare hours actually logged against the demand approved on Resource Allocation, catching an overrun on a specific order early.

• Separate billable time from downtime/rework — use non-project Timesheet Codes to keep production time distinct from setup, rework, or downtime, sharpening margin analysis per order.

• Period-end volume — bulk-approve a large shop-floor team's timesheets via the Time Sheet Status report instead of one by one.

• Auditable time against a regulated study — a required rejection comment plus a full approval history gives you evidence ready for an inspection or sponsor audit.

• Extra sign-off where it matters — turn on second-level approval for critical studies so a senior reviewer signs off in addition to the first-line manager.

• Billable vs. non-billable study time — separate the two with Timesheet Codes to support grant or sponsor billing accuracy.

• Actual engineering hours against planned demand — compare hours logged against Engineering, Process, and Design Lead tasks to what was approved on Resource Allocation.

• Overtime on site/field labor — configure per-day maximums and overtime rules so field crews' extended hours are captured and costed correctly.

• Feeding EVM — approved hours flow into actual-cost calculations, including rate-matrix costing by attendance/absence type, supporting accurate earned-value reporting at the project level.

• Auditable, contemporaneous time recording — the submit/approve/reject cycle with comment-backed rejections and a full status history supports the kind of timekeeping trail commonly expected under government contract compliance.

• Direct vs. indirect labor — use non-project Timesheet Codes to separate overhead/indirect time from direct, contract-billable time, a core government-contract accounting distinction.

• Correcting before it's final — the Withdraw action lets a timekeeper pull back and correct a submitted timesheet before it's approved, rather than after the fact.

Entered but not yet submitted for approval — safe to leave partway through a period.

Sent for approval and locked from further edits by the submitter, unless withdrawn.

Awaiting a first level of formal approval, where your organization requires it. Waiting Level-Two is a second, additional level of approval, if enabled.

Signed off by the relevant manager(s) — feeds actual cost, earned value, and billing.

Sent back to the submitter along with a required comment explaining why.

A previously Approved timesheet that a manager has reopened for correction.

A period for which no timesheet has been saved yet.

The submitter's own action to pull back a Submitted timesheet before it's decided (also called "unsubmit").

The category assigned to non-project time (e.g. holiday, sick, standby) — used with the cost-rate matrix to cost non-project and overtime hours correctly.

A configured non-project time category (e.g. Admin, Training, Leave) a user can log time against instead of a project task.

The configured limit on how far back a user is allowed to enter or edit time.

The configured limit on how far ahead of the current period a user is allowed to enter time.

Earned Value Management — approved timesheet hours feed the actual-cost side of EVM reporting elsewhere in Cora PPM.

What's the Difference Between "Time Sheet" and "Time Sheets" on Screen?

They're the same feature. Time Sheet (singular) is the title of the working screen itself; Time Sheets (plural) shows up in section headers like the dashboard's "My Time Sheet Approvals" widget.

Why Can't I Edit My Timesheet Anymore?

Once Submitted, a timesheet is locked until it's Approved, Rejected, or you Withdraw it yourself to make a correction.

What Happens if I Miss a Period Entirely?

It shows as Missing until a timesheet has been saved for that period.

Why Does My Timesheet Need Two Approvals?

Your organization has second-level project approval enabled for that project. Check with your Cora PPM administrator if you're unsure why a specific project requires it.

Can I Log Time Against Something That Isn't on My Task List?

Only if your organization allows unplanned tasks. Otherwise, ask your project manager to add the task first.

Where Do I Log Vacation, Sick Time, or Admin Time?

Against a non-project Timesheet Code, if your organization has one configured for that purpose. Ask your administrator which codes are available to you.

Why Can't I Enter Time for Last Month?

Your organization's Cut-off Date configuration may block editing periods older than a set number of days. Check with your administrator if you believe this is blocking a legitimate correction.

What's the Difference Between Reject and Unapprove?

Reject sends a Submitted (not-yet-approved) timesheet back to the submitter with a required comment. Unapprove reopens a timesheet that's already Approved — a separate, later correction path with no comment requirement.

Can a Manager Approve Many Timesheets at Once?

Yes, via the Time Sheet Status report — check the ones you want and click Approve. There's no equivalent bulk-reject; rejections are handled one at a time on the Timesheets screen itself, with a comment.

Does Approved Time Automatically Become Actual Cost?

Yes — approved hours feed into actual-cost calculations and, where your organization has it configured, rate-matrix-based costing that accounts for overtime and attendance/absence type.