Should all timesheets be signed?

[ladymuck]

Current client has a space for a signature but they accept the manager just saying "approved" in an email

[GJABS]

Follow the agreed process, and additionally print the timesheet and get it signed for your own records.

Sounds like the best idea - I'll do that.

Thanks everyone for your replies.

Right, better get back to posting carp in General and winding up the mods

[m0n1k3r]

I've started at a new client, direct so no agency. Contacted me through LinkedIn so I didn't know them before.
They are a small consultancy around 18 months old, with around 8 contractors alongside me on site at a larger client.

The written contract says timesheets must be signed.
Yet the consultancy has emailed us the timesheet to fill in, as an Excel attachment, and there is nowhere on it to sign - only boxes for days worked. They said in the email to email the completed timesheet to them - no mention of getting it signed by the client.

The concern I have is that it leaves the door wide open for the client to refuse to pay the invoice on the basis that no -signed- timesheet has been received, and that therefore there is no proof that the days were in fact worked.

As a remedy I have taken the Excel sheet and added fields for a client signature, and will ask the clients to sign prior to submission.

Do you think this is a wise precaution, or am I being over-cautious?

Anyone seen similar before?

Yes. Usually a copy-and-paste job from some other contract, and they didn't spot it.

Does the contract say that the client must sign, that the consultancy must sign or just that the timesheets must be signed? If the latter then I would just put my own signature there.