Setting up timesheet validation rules
Are you setting up legacy timesheets?
Our legacy Standard and In/Out timesheet formats in Replicon don't support all of these validation rules. However, they do support our legacy Setting min/max hours that must be entered in a timesheet rule.
Timesheet validation rules define whether data entered in a timesheet is valid. If, based on a validation rule, data is found to be invalid, a warning or error will occur. Depending on the workflow conditions, the system may prevent users from submitting a timesheet if it contains errors or warnings.
About the default timesheet validation rules
Replicon and Polaris provide default validation rules that meet common timesheet validation scenarios, but not that not all rules apply to all products.
If the default validation rules don’t meet your organization’s needs and you are a Replicon Enterprise customer, Replicon can create custom validation rules for you. Contact your Customer Success Manager for more information.
Rules that require a field to be completed
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Activity/Project Required |
Displays a message if an activity or project isn't selected for a time entry |
|
Billing Rate Validation |
Displays a message if the user hasn't selected a billing rate, for applicable entries. |
|
Client selection for "User's Choice" projects |
Checks that user's entering time against User's Choice Of multi-client projects have selected a client |
|
Mandatory Comments |
Checks that users have included a comment for every timesheet entry. You can also specify the minimum number of characters that are required for each comment to be considered valid. |
|
Mandatory Comments for Changes to Timesheets |
Requires users to record a cell-level comment whenever they make a change to:
This rule can help companies comply with DCAA requirements. |
|
Mandatory custom fields |
Displays a message if required custom fields are left blank |
Rules that restrict the number of hours that can be entered
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Daily Maximum Hours |
Displays a message when a hours that exceed the user's scheduled hours are entered. You can choose to include or exclude time off from the hours total. |
|
Daily Minimum Hours |
Checks the total amount of time off and work time on each day to see if enough time has been entered. For example, if the rule requires 8 hours to per weekday, the rule will produce an error if only 7 hours are entered for Thursday. |
|
Dynamic Timesheet Hours |
Checks the total amount of time off and work time on each day to see if enough time has been entered. For example, if the rule requires 8 hours to per weekday, the rule will produce an error if only 7 hours are entered for Thursday. |
|
Maximum 24 Hour Per Day |
Displays a message when a hours that exceed the user's scheduled hours are entered. You can choose to include or exclude time off from the hours total. |
|
Timesheet Period Hours |
Displays a message for hours that are outside a defined minimum and maximum within a timesheet period |
|
Weekly Hours |
Displays a message for hours that are outside a defined minimum and maximum within a week |
|
Work Day Hours |
Displays a message for hours that are outside a defined minimum and maximum, and allows you to exclude or include weekly days off and holidays in the total hours recorded. |
|
Work Day Hours Including/Excluding Time Off |
Displays a message for hours that are outside a defined minimum and maximum, and allows you to exclude or include weekly days off, breaks, time off, holidays, or specific time off types in the total hours recorded. |
|
Workweek Hours |
Displays an error for time entered above the allowed workweek hours |
Rules that regulate time worked over a period
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Average Workday Hours in a Continuous Period |
Displays an error or warning message if the user’s average workday hours exceed a specified limit within a continuous period |
|
Average Hours in Rolling Period
Average Workday Hours in Rolling Period |
Displays a message if the average number of hours (or workday hours) a user works in a rolling period you define exceeds an amount you specify. For example, imagine you set the rolling period to 17 weeks, and the maximum average for weekly hours worked to 48 hours. If a worker averaged 48 hours for 16 weeks (some weeks working more than 48, and some weeks less), but then in the 17th week they worked 50 hours, this validation rule would be triggered, since the average would exceed 48 hours. You can choose whether particular types of time off, or hours worked against selected activities, are included or excluded from the average hours calculation. Including a time off type means days booked with that type are considered normal working days, and are not subtracted from the reference period. All time off is used in average work hours calculations. |
|
Required Rest Days over a Specific Period |
Displays a message if a given day of the week has not been taken off a minimum defined number of times, within a defined period. For example, it can be used to validate Netherlands' rule that 13 Sundays in any 52-week period must be rest days. Austria has a similar rule. The rule allows you to select which day of the week is validated, the number of required rest days, the reference period (years, months, etc), and whether the period is continuous or based on the calendar. |
|
Validate for Number of Days Worked |
Checks that the specified number of days in a week, month, or year matches the hours entered against a specific activity or other timesheet field value |
Rules that restrict hours recorded against projects, tasks, or activities
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Min/Max Activity Durations |
Checks that activities fall within the duration ranges you define. For example, you can specify that a user must enter between 2 and 4 hours against Coding activity, or exactly 1 hour every time they enter time against Admin. By default, you can specify duration ranges for up to two different activities. |
|
Project/Task Estimates |
Displays a message when hours entered for a project or task exceed a percentage of the estimated hours. You can define the threshold levels for the different types of estimates. |
|
Restrict Time to User Task Assignment Dates |
Checks timesheet entries and raises validation errors if any of them are outside of the task's assignment dates for the given user. |
|
Validate Approved Hours to Activity |
Checks that hours worked on specific activities have been approved. Requires an Overtime Request Template configuration where the custom fields are required. |
|
Validate Time Attribute to Project/Task Field |
Checks that a given project or task custom field value matches the value for a billing, activity, comment, or entry level dynamic custom field |
|
Validate User Assignment to Project/Task/Activity |
Checks that the user is assigned to all projects, tasks, and activities in a timesheet. It can be used to prevent invalid entry in cases where users were erroneously added to a project, and recorded hours against it before they were removed. |
Rules that restrict data entry to certain date ranges
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Project/Task Start & End Dates |
Ensures time entered falls within the project or task's start and end dates |
|
Restrict Time to Project Timesheet Field Dates |
Checks project timesheet field entries and raises validation errors if any of them are outside of the assigned dates for the given project timesheet field. |
|
Restrict Time to User Start/End Dates |
Ensures that all time collected on the timesheet falls within the user's start and end dates |
Rules that check that in and out entries are valid
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Complete In/Out Times |
Checks each time entry and punch segment to see if there is an in or out time set. If there is, and its pair is missing, an error is created. |
|
Overlapping Entries |
Displays a message when overlapping entries are recorded on in/out timesheets. You can choose to include or exclude breaks and time off that overlaps with other entries. |
Rules to regulate when meals and breaks are recorded
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Configurable Break Enforcement |
Require employees to take a meal and/or rest break(s) based on configurable rules. |
|
Configurable Daily/Weekly Rest Period |
Shows a message when the required amount of daily/weekly rest is not taken |
|
Daily Rest Period |
Displays a message if the user doesn't take off the number of hours you specify between shifts |
|
Meal Break Enforcement |
Ensures users take specified meal breaks |
|
Meal Break Validation for Continuous Work |
Ensures users take a meal break before they exceed six hours (the default) of continuous work. Useful in countries such as the Czech Republic and Austria. |
|
Min/Max Break Durations |
Displays a message if the user records a break that is shorter than the minimum length specified, or longer than the maximum length specified |
|
Multiple Breaks Meal Break Validation |
Require employees to take a meal break before every 6 hours of continuous work |
|
Prevent Breaks at Start/End of Day |
Displays a message on timesheets that include a break at the very beginning or very end of the user’s work day. You can set the rule to validate for breaks at the start of the day, at the end of the day, or both. |
|
Rest Break Enforcement |
Ensures users take specified rest breaks |
|
Rest Break Enforcement with Major Fraction |
Ensures users take specified rest breaks. You define a repeating period in which a break must fall, called a work period (for example, 4 hours). You can also specify that each break must be taken in the second half of the work period, using the Break must be taken after major fraction of every work period parameter. |
Rules that ensure hours entered match amounts available
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Allocation matches Allocation Categories |
Ensures that all allocated time matches the amount of time in the allocation categories |
|
Time Off In Lieu |
Prevents users from exchanging more hours than are available for time off in lieu |
Rules that help ensure overtime budgets aren’t exceeded
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Above Scheduled Hours |
Ensure work and time off hours do not exceed schedule |
|
Above/Below Daily & Weekly Scheduled Hours |
Ensure work and time off hours are not above or below the daily and/or weekly scheduled hours |
|
Average Overtime Hours in a Rolling Period |
Displays a message if the actual average weekly overtime over a “rolling period” whose length you define exceeds the set ‘expected’ amount of overtime, based on a value you also define. You can choose to omit or include overtime hours deposited as time off in lieu. For example, assume this rule is set with a 17 week rolling period, and a set average of 8 overtime hours. If an employee assigned this rule works 8 hours of overtime each week for 16 weeks, but then this week they work 9 overtime hours, the validation message will display on their current timesheet, since the average will exceed 8 hours per week. |
|
Below Scheduled Hours |
Ensure work and time off hours are not lesser than scheduled hours |
|
Daily & Weekly Overtime Hours |
Shows a message if overtime hours exceed the specified daily and/or weekly period. For example, can help meet the Indian requirement restricting overtime hours to 2 hr/day and 10 hr/week. May also be useful for meeting Austrian overtime rules. |
|
Monthly Overtime Hours |
Displays a message if overtime hours exceed a defined amount in a calendar month. You'll need to define which pay codes count as overtime. |
|
Number of Overtime Violations in a Specific Period |
Validate for a configurable number of occurrences in a week or a month where overtime hours have been exceeded by a set amount. |
|
Overtime Hours Over a Specific Period |
Displays a message if overtime hours exceed the specified period |
|
Validate Above Approved Overtime Hours |
Validate for a configurable number of occurrences in a week or a month where overtime hours have been exceeded by a set amount. |
|
Validate Below Approved Overtime Hours |
Validate if the overtime hours worked by users are below the amount of overtime hours that have been approved. Overtime hours are defined as any hours that are above the user’s scheduled hours. |
|
Yearly Overtime Hours |
Displays a message if overtime hours exceed a defined amount in a calendar year. You'll need to define which pay codes count as overtime. |
Rules that validate project timesheet fields (i.e. project-dependent custom fields)
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Mandatory Project Timesheet Fields |
Require that project timesheet fields be completed |
|
Validate Project Timesheet Fields |
|
Other rules
|
Rule Name |
This Rule... |
|---|---|
|
Display Punch Validations on Timesheet |
Displays punch validation messages on the user's timesheet |
| Min/Max Characters on Comments | Require that comments entered meet a minimum and/or maximum character limit |
| Time Entered in Allowed Increments | When “Enter time in days” is enabled, ensures the total time entered for each day matches one of the allowed increments. |
| Validate for Negative Hours | Checks for negative time entries and displays a validation message |
| Validate for Rejected & Not Submitted Time Off | Validate for time off bookings present on the timesheet that are in rejected and/or not submitted status. |
| Validate for Rejected & Not Submitted Time Off | Validate for time off bookings present on the timesheet that are in rejected and/or not submitted status. |
|
Validate Project Time Entry Configuration |
Checks whether Allow Time Entry against Task Only is enabled for the project associated with each entry. If it is enabled, a validation message will display in the timesheet. This rule is primarily useful to those adding time entries that originate outside the Replicon UI (e.g. via integration or ZeroTime). |
To use the timesheet validation rules:
- Go to Administration > Timesheets > Timesheet Validation Rules.
- Select a rule from the list and confirm that it meets your organization’s needs.
- Set the parameters for the rule, if applicable. For example, for the Daily Minimum Hours rule, you set a minimum work time for each day.
- Ensure the rule’s Status is set to Enabled.
You can now assign the rule to a timesheet template.
Copying a timesheet validation rule
You can make a copy of any validation rule, in case you want to base a new rule on an existing one, or retain variations of two similar rules.
To make a copy of a rule, click the Make a Copy of this Rule link located at the bottom, right-hand corner of the rule’s page:
Each validation rule configuration page contains a check box labelled Execute validation rule last when running timesheet calculations. If the check box is not checked, when calculations are run on a timesheet, the validation rule will execute earlier than other scripts. This allows other scripts (for example, pay rules) to use the results of the validation rule in their calculations.
If a validation rule needs to use data from other scripts, enabling this option will allow it to be executed after the other scripts. If the validation rule is set to run last, other scripts will not be able to use its results.
For the default validation rules provided with your product, we recommend leaving the check box as it is.
Can we use two different timesheet validation rules in combination?
Yes, you can assign multiple validation rules to a timesheet template.
Related links
Time tracking setup checklist
Setting up timesheets (video)
A validation displays on a user’s timesheet, but they can still submit it
There’s a validation error on my timesheet. What do I do?