How do I set up time tracking rules?

Time tracking rules control how time entries behave for everyone in your account. They cover the default activity, timesheet approval, absence requests, and the live status. You'll find these settings under Settings > Account settings, on the Time tracking tab.

Set the default time tracking behaviour

These settings apply whenever users create time entries or end their session. They define the preset activity, the maximum duration of a running time entry, and what happens on logout.

Follow these steps

1. Go to Settings > Account settings and open the Time tracking tab.
2. In the Time tracking section, assign a Default activity. New time entries use this activity automatically.
3. Under Maximum duration, enter the maximum number of hours as a decimal. If a running time entry exceeds this duration, a warning appears.
4. Turn on Stop time entry on logout so that users end a running time entry before they log out.

Control timesheet approval

These settings control how a timesheet is approved and re-opened. They also define whether individual checks can be bypassed at approval.

Follow these steps

1. Go to the Timesheet approval section.
2. Turn on Bypass empty-day check so that a timesheet can be approved even when some days are empty.
3. Turn on Allow user re-approval so that users can re-open a timesheet they approved themselves.
4. Turn on Allow management re-approval  so that managers can re-open a timesheet approved by an admin.
5. Turn on Bypass user compliance or Bypass management compliance so that a timesheet can be approved despite a compliance violation.

Manage absence requests

These settings decide whether users can request absence and comp time even when their balance is insufficient. They also define how comp time is requested.

Follow these steps

1. Go to the Absences section.
2. Turn on Allow absence requests when annual leave entitlement or working time balance is negative so that users can request absence beyond their entitlement.
3. Turn on Allow comp time requests when annual leave entitlement or working hours balance is negative so that users can request more annual leave than their current balance covers.
4. Turn on Allow requests for full-day comp time only to limit comp time requests to whole days.

Show the live status

The Live status shows who is working and on what. These settings decide who can see the live status and how much detail is visible.

Follow these steps

1. Go to the Live status section.
2. Turn on Show live status for everyone so that everyone in the account can see the live status.
3. Turn on Show live status for managers only so that only managers can see the live status.
4. In the Privacy settings subsection, turn on Show activity and project details in the live status so that the current activity and project name also appear.
   
   

You now know how to set up time tracking rules in TimeTac.