This document contains information that will quickly help you learn to create, edit and submit timesheets with Tempus.

System Overview

Tempus is a Web-based timesheet management system for staffing firms.

Using Tempus, consultants working at client sites enter their weekly timesheets on the Web and submit them for approval to their client supervisors. When the timesheet is submitted, Tempus automatically sends an email notification to the supervisor.

The email contains a summary of your time for the week and links that allow the supervisor to approve or disapprove the timesheet. You will be sent an email after approval or disapproval informing you of the supervisor's action.

Administrators and managers of your consulting firm can see your timesheet online. They have Tempus query and reporting tools to help them aggregate the time for payroll, billing, and sales analysis.

The weekly timesheet submission and approval cycle

Tempus requires timesheets to be submitted weekly by consultants. Your company can track the submission process on-line, so they know when your timesheet is submitted and they know when your supervisor has approved (or disapproved) the time.

About Contracts

Tempus uses a contract metaphor to organize information that will be used in the timesheet process. The contract assembles all the information about a consulting assignment into one place. Just like a real-world contract, it identifies the client, the consultant, and the supervisor, and it records some important details about the business deal like the rate and the effective date.

Your administrator will take care of all the details of entering and maintaining the contract, but it’s important that you understand its role in the system and a few of its features.

• Timesheets cannot be created until a contract is in place.
• The contract Effective Date is named in the contract. This is the first day that time can be billed under the contract. The Effective Date cannot be changed after the first timesheet has been created.
• The weekly Start Day is named in the contract, usually Sunday or Monday. The Start Day remains the same for the duration of the contract.
• The maximum billable hours per week can be fixed on the contract. This provides an upper limit to the number of hours that can be billed. It can be changed at any time by your administrator.
• When the contract is complete, your administrator will change its status to Complete. That means that no more time can be entered for the contract.
• Timesheets can be created for future time periods that start less than 14 days from the current date.

Your Password

Your password will be provided by your administrator. You should change it immediately from your timesheet browser for added security. Passwords are always encrypted on Tempus so your company cannot see it. However, they can change it.

Timesheet submission rules

You may create a timesheet at any time during the work week. Your time can be entered daily or all at once at the end of the week. Timesheets carry a status of Incomplete until they are submitted to the supervisor for approval.

Consultants can record a maximum of 24 hours each day and 168 hours for a week.

When you finish the timesheet for the week, Submit it to your supervisor for approval. After you submit the timesheet, you may view it, but you may no longer change it. If your supervisor is not available to approve your timesheet in a timely manner, you can choose another supervisor from the dropdown on your timesheet header and resubmit to someone else. This is also useful when your supervisor accidently deletes your submission email before approval.  You can manage the resubmit from within the timesheet. Just set the Supervisor on the timesheet header and click the Submit button. 

As mentioned, timesheets cannot be changed directly by you after submission. If you notice an error after submitting the timesheet, you can contact your administrator, explain the situation and request an Unsubmit.  You can do the same even after the timesheet has been approved.  These procedures include features that keep your supervisor informed of the action.

Another way to handle an error after submission is to ask your supervisor to Disapprove it. After disapproval you can edit and resubmit. Your firm does not receive special notification when your timesheet is disapproved, but they can see the timesheet online while it is in disapproved status.

Timesheets can be created for future time periods that start less than 14 days from the current date.

Your first timesheet under a new contract

It’s important to get the dates correct on the first timesheet under a new contract. When you open the first new timesheet, Tempus looks at the contract’s Effective Date and the contract’s Week Start Day to determine the dates of the first timesheet period. This will work well if you started working on the date your administrator anticipated.

If you actually started a month later, you’ll have to play catch up.

The easiest thing to do is to create and skip all the timesheets for prior periods. Enter your time when Tempus gets to the timesheet for the current week.  Skipping a timesheet enters zeros for all days. Supervisors do not receive copies of Skipped timesheets, but your administrator can see all of them. 

Changing the Supervisor or Submit-to Party

If your supervisor is going to be out of the office on timesheet day, you can change the submit-to party on the timesheet. You can also re-submit the timesheet to a second party if you find that your supervisor is absent after submission.

If the person to whom you would like to submit is not shown in the timesheet drop-down, your company’s administrator can easily add a new name to the list.

To change the default submit-to party permanently, ask your administrator to change the submit-to party on your contract.

Your Supervisor’s eMail link to Timesheet Approval

When you submit your timesheet, your client supervisor is sent a email showing your hours by day for the week. The email contains buttons that allow the supervisor to approve or disapprove the time.

This method is fast and hassle-free because it allows the timesheet to be approved directly without a login, but it’s email, so occasionally it’s problematic. If problems occur, you can always re-submit the timesheet.

Approval

You will receive an email notice when your supervisor approves your timesheet.

Once the timesheet is approved, it is sealed. An approved timesheet cannot be edited. If you discover an error on an approved timesheet, notify your company's administrator. The administrator can reverse a Submission or Approval and allow you to edit and resubmit your timesheet.

Disapproval

If your timesheet is disapproved, your company can see the timesheet with the disapproved status online. The timesheet will be displayed on your Tempus browser page, with a status of Disapproved. You can open a disapproved timesheet, edit, and resubmit it.