Timesheets
- Michelle Drewes
The Timesheet menu includes the ability to create new timesheets as well as view or recall existing timesheets. If your user account has been granted additional roles (other than the Standard User role), you may have additional options under the Timesheet menu.
My Timesheets
Role: Users with User role
The user’s position must have the ‘Timesheet Required' checked in USPS for a standard user to create a timesheet in ESS. Also in order for the employee’s timesheet to process through the approval workflow, their position record must have a supervisor defined.
Create a Timesheet
Once a period and shift are created for the employee’s position, the employee has the ability to create their timesheet.
Under My Timesheets, click ‘Create’
Select the timesheet period and position you are creating your timesheet for and click ‘Create Timesheet’
The timesheet will be pre-filled with the information from the corresponding period and shift set up. Click on a line item in order to edit the pre-filled information.
If the employee has an approved leave request inclusive of the timesheet period, the leave request line item gets added to the employee's timesheet automatically. These items are not editable in the timesheet. It will automatically adjust the times on the REG line item (or removes it entirely if the entire time is taken up by the leave request line item.)
NOTE: By default, it will not include weekend days. Select ‘+' to add additional line items to your timesheet (i.e. weekend work). To remove any items, check the box to the left of the item(s) and select '-'.
Click on 'Create’ to add your timesheet to your timesheet grid. NOTE: This action does not submit the timesheet to the workflow process. You must submit the timesheet for approval.
Submit a Timesheet for Approval
Click 
Timesheet Grid
Displays a user’s existing timesheets in a grid format.
Approval Status indicates where in the approval workflow the timesheet is currently at:
Initiated; Originator has created their timesheet
Submitted; Originator has submitted their timesheet for approval
Approved; Timesheet has been through the entire approval workflow
Rejected: Timesheet was rejected at some point during the approval workflow
Exported: Approved timesheet was exported to a CSV (in order to be posted to USPS).
Cancelled:
Grid Options
User may view the details of their timesheet.
User may edit their timesheet as long as the approval status is ‘initiated'. Once the timesheet has been submitted to the approval workflow process, the user can no longer edit it.
User may delete their timesheet as long as the following applies:
the timesheet was created manually (not via an automatically generated period)
the approval status is ‘initiated’
timesheet period is open.
When viewing a timesheet:
Timesheet Details: includes the information entered on the timesheet. If the timesheet has NOT been submitted for approval yet, the user may edit the timesheet to make any changes. Click on ‘Submit for Approval’ to submit the timesheet to the timesheet approval workflow.
Timesheet Approval Trail: Tracks the activity on the timesheet from original requester to final approver. Once a timesheet has been submitted for approval, you can no longer edit it. Instead, the user will need to select ‘recall’ to recall the timesheet. Recalling a timesheet will change it back to an ‘initiated’ status so that the user can edit and/or submit their timesheet again. A recalled timesheet will be included in the Timesheet Approval Trail.
Supervisor Timesheet
Role: For users with Timesheet Approver, District Manager or Admin role.
To approve a timesheet, the supervisor must have the Timesheet Approve role. Supervisor can approve timesheets via the Home screen or Timesheet Approval menu option.
Timesheet Details: includes the information entered on their staff’s timesheets
Timesheet Approval Trail: Tracks the activity on the timesheet, from original requester to final approver. The ‘Note’ column on the grid will indicate the Group Chain the timesheet is tied to.
Approval Status indicates where in the approval workflow the timesheet is currently at:
Initiated: Supervisor can edit or submit their staff’s timesheets for approval
Submitted: Supervisor can recall their staff’s timesheets
Approved: Supervisor can view their staff’s timesheets only
Rejected: Supervisor can edit or submit their staff’s timesheets for approval
Exported: Supervisor can view their staff’s timesheets only
Cancelled
District Timesheet
Role: For users with Timesheet Manager, District Manager or Admin role
Timesheet Details: includes the information entered on all staff’s timesheets
Timesheet Approval Trail: Tracks the activity on the timesheet, from original requester to final approver. The ‘Note’ column on the grid will indicate the Group Chain the timesheet is tied to.
Approval Status indicates where in the approval workflow the timesheet is currently at:
Initiated: Timesheet Manager can edit or submit any staff timesheets for approval
Submitted: Supervisor can recall any staff timesheets
Approved: Supervisor can view any staff timesheets only
Rejected: Supervisor can edit or submit any staff timesheets for approval
Exported: Supervisor can view any staff timesheets only
Cancelled
Timesheet Export
Role: For users with Timesheet Manager, District Manager, or Admin role
Allows users the ability to export timesheets with a status of ‘approved’ in order to post timesheet information into USPS.
User may filter approved timesheets by:
Select Period: Select a specific timesheet period. You may only select one period to export.
Specific Employees: Select one or more specific employee(s) approved timesheets
Once your grid includes the desired timesheets you would like to export, click on ‘Export Timesheets. You will be provided with the following export methods:
Post Attendance: All filtered timesheets appearing in grid will be saved into a CSV file called timesheet-export.csv The file can then be imported into USPS manually via the USPS Utilities> Attendance/Absence Import.
Only export exceptions: Includes timesheet items marked with an activity of ‘EXC’ (exception) only from their normal timesheet period. These items will be saved into a CSV file which can then be imported into USPS manually via the USPS Utilities>Attendance/Absence Import.
Mark all timesheets as exported: If checked, all included timesheets will be marked as exported. Leave Unchecked to only mark exported line items.
Once timesheets are exported, the status of the timesheets will change from ‘Approved’ to ‘Exported’ and the timesheets will no longer appear in the Timesheet Export grid.
Timesheet Overview Report
This option provides the ability to generate a CSV file of timesheet data. All timesheets will be automatically included in the report unless you filter by entering a specified period and/or employee(s) located in the filter area in the top half of the screen. On the bottom half of the screen, by default, it will display all existing timesheets unless filtering has been applied, in which case it will only include the timesheets inclusive of the selected filters. You can sort by period start/end dates or employee.
For example, to review all existing timesheets for the 11/1/24-11/15/24 pay period, select the pay period and click ‘Generate Overview Report’. The resulting CSV file includes all timesheet data (regardless of status) inclusive of that period.