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Time Tracking App With Approval Workflow

Harvest is a time tracking app that simplifies approval workflows, reducing payroll errors that cost businesses an average of $291 each to fix.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

The Importance of Accurate Time Tracking and Approval

Accurate time tracking and approval processes are crucial for ensuring payroll precision and compliance with labor laws. Studies reveal that 72% of payroll issues originate from data input errors, with organizations facing an average error cost of $291 per incident. For companies with 1,000 employees, this can total up to $922,131 annually in correction costs. Implementing a robust approval workflow can mitigate such financial risks by validating employee work hours before payroll processing.

Beyond financial implications, effective time tracking and approvals enhance operational efficiency and compliance. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must maintain accurate records of hours worked to avoid legal penalties. Tools like Harvest offer integrated approval workflows, empowering organizations to streamline these processes and reduce error rates.

Key Features of Time Tracking Apps with Approval Workflows

When choosing a time tracking app with approval workflows, several features are essential. Customizable approval workflows, such as those offered by Harvest, support various pathways like single-level and multi-level approvals. This flexibility ensures that timesheets are reviewed by the appropriate personnel, whether it's a project manager or HR.

Automated time capture and submission, including real-time tracking and idle time detection, enhance the accuracy of recorded work hours. Mobile accessibility is vital, especially for remote and field teams, allowing employees to track time and managers to approve entries from any device. Furthermore, audit trails and timesheet locking features ensure data integrity and compliance by maintaining immutable records of changes and approvals.

Ensuring Compliance and Seamless Integration

Compliance with federal and state labor laws, such as the FLSA, is a non-negotiable aspect of workforce management. Tools like Harvest help organizations adhere to these regulations by providing audit trails and role-based permissions to prevent unauthorized timesheet approvals. This approach not only ensures compliance but also reduces payroll errors.

Integration capabilities are equally important, facilitating seamless data transfer between time tracking apps and payroll systems. This eliminates manual data entry, reduces errors, and ensures consistent calculations. Harvest’s integrations with platforms like QuickBooks and Slack provide a streamlined experience, enhancing efficiency and compliance simultaneously.

Best Practices for Optimizing Approval Workflows

Implementing clear policies for time logging and approvals is foundational to optimizing workflows. Organizations should establish explicit guidelines for timesheet submissions, break management, and approval deadlines. Regular training for managers and employees on accurate time tracking practices ensures adherence to these policies.

Active managerial oversight is crucial—managers should promptly review and approve timesheets, addressing any discrepancies and providing feedback. Conducting regular audits further helps identify patterns of missed punches or potential time theft, enabling swift corrective actions. Harvest facilitates these best practices with features like automated reminders and detailed reporting.

Streamline Time Tracking with Harvest

Discover how Harvest simplifies time tracking and approval workflows, enhancing accuracy and compliance with detailed reports and integrations.

Harvest time tracking app with approval workflow features

Time Tracking App With Approval Workflow FAQs

  • Look for customizable approval workflows, mobile access, real-time tracking, integration capabilities, and audit trails. Harvest offers these features, providing flexible approval paths and secure data handling.

  • Harvest integrates seamlessly with payroll systems like QuickBooks and Xero, ensuring automatic data transfer and consistent calculations. This integration reduces administrative burden and error potential.

  • Many time tracking apps offer free trials to explore their features, including Harvest, which provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, allowing you to test its approval workflows.

  • Benefits include increased payroll accuracy, compliance with labor laws, operational efficiency, and cost savings. Apps like Harvest streamline approval processes, enhancing oversight and reducing errors.

  • Harvest provides audit trails, customizable permissions, and integration with payroll systems, ensuring compliance with labor laws such as the FLSA and reducing payroll errors.

  • Audit trails offer a record of all changes and approvals, ensuring data integrity and compliance. Harvest's audit trail features help organizations maintain accurate and secure records, reducing error rates.

  • Yes, Harvest allows employees to review and modify their timesheets before submission for approval, ensuring accuracy and compliance with organizational policies.