What is a Timesheet?

A timesheet is a simple record of the hours a person works over a defined period (typically a week). It captures when you worked (by day), how long you worked (start/end times and totals).

In e-maktab, timesheets are used by teachers to log their hours only on the days an admin has configured as their working days. Once a teacher completes and submits a weekly timesheet, it is sent to an admin for approval or rejection. This creates a clear, auditable workflow with four statuses: Draft → Pending → Approved → Rejected.

Why timesheets matter:

• Accuracy: Ensures hours are recorded consistently and on the correct days.

• Accountability: Provides a verifiable record of work completed.

• Operational clarity: Helps admins plan staffing and resolve discrepancies quickly.

• Compliance & reporting: Supports payroll, attendance summaries, and audit trails.

In short, a timesheet is the authoritative weekly log of working time that teachers complete and admins review to keep everything fair, transparent, and organised.

How does it work

To use the timesheets the admin first needs to configure each teachers working days. See below ⬇️ instructions.

1. Go to: Teachers → Select a Teacher → Edit.

2. Find “Working Days”.

3. Tick the days the teacher works (e.g., Mon, Tue, Wed).

4. Save the profile.

Note: The teacher’s timesheet will only show the selected days for the week they open. If you change working days later, new weeks will reflect the update.

Once configured the timesheet panel will be displayed on the dashboard when the teacher logs into the system.

This panel summarises the timesheet for the logged in teacher and shows in what status their timesheets are and how many. 

Pending = Submitted for approval 

Approved = Timesheet was approved by admin

Rejected = Timesheet was rejected by admin 

The teacher can click on Manage Timesheets button to submit the timesheet or see history of submitted timesheets.

Submit a timesheet

A) Open the Timesheet

1. Teacher Logs in to the system.

2. On the Dashboard, locate the Timesheet panel as shown above

3. Click Manage Timesheets.

4. The current working week opens automatically, showing only the days your admin configured for you.

B) Fill in Your Hours

1. For each visible working day, enter your time (e.g., start time, end time)

2. If you are not working on a day select the reason field only

3. Confirm any totals (if shown) look correct.

C) Submit for Approval

1. When you’re ready, click Submit.

2. Your timesheet moves to Pending status.

3. The system emails the admin to let them know it’s ready for review.

After submission: You generally cannot edit a pending timesheet. If you notice a mistake, contact your admin to reject it so you can amend and resubmit.

Admin Review & Decision

A) Find Pending Timesheets

1. Go to: On the dashboard click on ViewTimesheets (Admin dashboard).

2. Use filters (if available) to show Pending items.

B) Review a Timesheet

1. Click on the view button to open the timesheet.

2. Review day-by-day entries, and totals hours and check everything looks correct

C) Approve or Reject

• Approve:

  • Click Approve.

  • Status changes to Approved and the record locks.

• Reject:

  • Click Reject.

  • Status changes to Rejected so the teacher can make corrections and resubmit.