This article is designed for: User Type: Admins Access: Web Browser
Do you have an employee-submitted timesheet blocking payroll from being sent to Xero?
The solution to this issue depends on the region of your Xero account and the stage the employee's timesheet is at (i.e. Approved, Rejected). This is because the timesheet must be managed within your Xero account, not in RosterElf.
CAUSE: Employee timesheets are created because someone within your organisation has likely created a timesheet using the Xero Me phone app. Xero only allows for one timesheet per pay period and prevents the ability to override time sheets that are approved or rejected. So to avoid this error in the future, it's best to tackle the problem head-on and inform staff not to submit timesheets using Xero Me.
IMPORTANT: Changes to Xero's system now prevent admins of the Xero account from seeing and fixing some employee-submitted timesheet errors. We recommend staff do not use Xero Me in conjunction with RosterElf.
Below we have troubleshooting for: Xero (AU) Customers, Xero (NZ) Customers, and Xero (UK) Customers
Xero (AU) Customers
1. To fix this error, log into your Xero account.
2. Head to Payroll Timesheets.
3. From here, you can use the filters in Xero if you can't find the timesheet. We recommend you reset your filters to ensure you see all the available timesheets.
4. The three status types to look for are: Pending Approval, Approved or Rejected. In addition to these three that you can see, there are Hidden Timesheets.
5. Click on the timesheet to open it. Then follow the below steps:
Pending Approval: You will need to Approve the request first and then Revert to Draft.
Approved: Simply Revert to Draft.
Rejected: This is a bit more difficult to resolve. This is because Xero Admins cannot revert a rejected timesheet to draft. You need to ask the employee to do so from the Xero Me app. So to do this, you need to contact the employee, get them to open Xero Me, they then select the Timesheets tab. Click the timesheet, then Revert to Draft.
Hidden Timesheets: Perhaps the most challenging situation is when you cannot see the timesheet causing the issue. The solution is similar to the Rejected timesheets above. However, you first need to find out who the employee is.
First, we recommend you reset your timesheet filters and double-check to see if it's there. If not, you may need to contact us or Xero Support to help you further. Below is a snippet from a Xero support person:
"A timesheet that is submitted via the Employee Portal and is reverted to draft for any reason, will be sent back to the employee to fix. The employee will also get an email notifying them that the timesheet has been rejected.
While the timesheet is with the employee in draft, it will disappear from your list of timesheets.
No other user can create another timesheet for the same pay period as it is only possible to have one draft timesheet per pay period. For this reason your employee will have to amend the timesheet and submit it for approval again."
Additional Xero articles: Xero Me - Add or edit your own timesheets & Xero Central - Add or edit an employee's timesheet
Xero (NZ) Customers
1. To fix this error, log into your Xero account.
2. Head to Payroll Timesheets.
3. From here, you can use the filters in Xero if you can't find the timesheet.
4. Click on the timesheet to open it and delete the timesheet.
5. If the timesheet is not showing, we recommend you reset your timesheet status to Any and double-check to see if it's there. If not, you may need to contact us or Xero Support to help you further.
Additional Xero Support: Xero Central - Add or edit an employee's timesheet
Xero (UK) Customers
1. To fix this error, log into your Xero account.
2. Head to Payroll Timesheets.
3. From here, you can use the filters in Xero if you can't find the timesheet.
4. Click on the timesheet to open it and delete the timesheet.
5. If the timesheet is not showing, we recommend you reset your timesheet status to Any and double-check to see if it's there. If not, you may need to contact us or Xero Support to help you further.
Additional Xero Support: Xero Central - Add or edit an employee's timesheet
If the above doesn't fix the issues, please contact Xero Support in your region or reach out to our team for a video call to investigate further.