Reply to: Line manager approving time sheets?

[CloudWalker]

get it signed by the guy who hired you.

[stek]

Wait, all for the client, or split between client/agency/accountancy?

Agency/Consultancy/End client.

[Mephisto]

Nope. For me and the clients I contract to, project time is accounted for seperately and allocated against projects. YMMV. Clients will approve a specific budget for yourco when agreeing the contract with the agent. IME an expenditure code will be set up and projected costs (usually XXX days at RRR rate) for yourco wil be added to it. Most of my recent clients (10 yrs) have been SAP based and will approve an agent's invoice against that Exp code only with a signed timesheet. Where a timesheet is not signed, it will be managed by exception (Last role I was in, the approver was on holiday when it came to sign time so the agent had to get it approved outside of the process). Clients don't approve invoices piecemeal against individual projects.

Yip agree with that.

Slight aside but I've even had one ClientCo where the 'Line Manager' said ''I can't be arsed with doing that. Here...'' and gave me her login details to approve my own timesheets

[northernladuk]

No I totally agree, the missing piece for me was the agent I would say.

Wouldn't you add the accountant as an extra player as well (in terms of paperwork at least)!?

Please understand those 4 first. That's the chain of business. Again when you know that you will know where the accountant fits.

[KayMan]

There are 4 players in the chain. The client, the agent, your LTD and you. I would suggest you try and understand those relationships a little better, who pays who, the relationship between the next one in the chain and lo and behold your answer will become clear.

No I totally agree, the missing piece for me was the agent I would say.

Wouldn't you add the accountant as an extra player as well (in terms of paperwork at least)!?

[KayMan]

One place I was at there were three time sheets to fill in.

Wait, all for the client, or split between client/agency/accountancy?

[tractor]

..

Isn't the timesheet you are thinking of the internal one for the client to see what time is spent against what budget. The timesheet the OP is talking about is the one confirming he worked the days he is invoicing for? Different beasts.

Nope. For me and the clients I contract to, project time is accounted for seperately and allocated against projects. YMMV. Clients will approve a specific budget for yourco when agreeing the contract with the agent. IME an expenditure code will be set up and projected costs (usually XXX days at RRR rate) for yourco wil be added to it. Most of my recent clients (10 yrs) have been SAP based and will approve an agent's invoice against that Exp code only with a signed timesheet. Where a timesheet is not signed, it will be managed by exception (Last role I was in, the approver was on holiday when it came to sign time so the agent had to get it approved outside of the process). Clients don't approve invoices piecemeal against individual projects.

[SueEllen]

One place I was at there were three time sheets to fill in.

I had a place try that on me.

I told all parties involved they were getting the same one, and which one did they want?

[northernladuk]

Eh? I think you need some more valium.

Isn't the timesheet you are thinking of the internal one for the client to see what time is spent against what budget. The timesheet the OP is talking about is the one confirming he worked the days he is invoicing for? Different beasts.

[stek]

One place I was at there were three time sheets to fill in.

[tractor]

...

Clients need approval for evidence of expenditure against budget. This is one of the ways that they achieve that. It is not sinister but does have other implications.

SueEllen is correct wrt agencies often paying yourco before they invoice the client which is often on 60 day terms so they do need some protection as much from the client as yourco.

Payment with or without timesheet (where clients can sometimes be tardy or downright difficult) can be affected by your Opt Out status. Check on the right for an understanding of the Conduct of Employment Agency Regulations and check your own status as to whether you are opted out or not.

First timers to any site, especially those that have a technical nature are usually presented with a wall of text that often does not include the terms that they are actively interested in. If they don't see their term in the links on the right, they aren't necessarily going to go into each one and look.

Don't feel bad that you didn't see a link to 'Timesheets' on the right - there isn't one

FTFM

Eh? I think you are thinking of the wrong timesheet.

Eh? I think you need some more valium.

[northernladuk]

Clients need approval for expenditure against budget. This is one of the ways that they achieve that. It is not sinister but does have other implications.

Eh? I think you are thinking of the wrong timesheet.

[northernladuk]

Okay admit when I read it again it sounded really naive. But really its the wording that I am asking about not why they need to be approved. Obviously someone has to sign them off etc.

There are 4 players in the chain. The client, the agent, your LTD and you. I would suggest you try and understand those relationships a little better, who pays who, the relationship between the next one in the chain and lo and behold your answer will become clear.

[tractor]

...

Okay admit when I read it again it sounded really naive. But really its the wording that I am asking about not why they need to be approved. Obviously someone has to sign them off etc.

Clients need approval for expenditure against budget. This is one of the ways that they achieve that. It is not sinister but does have other implications.

SueEllen is correct wrt agencies often paying yourco before they invoice the client which is often on 60 day terms so they do need some protection as much from the client as yourco.

Payment with or without timesheet (where clients can sometimes be tardy or downright difficult) can be affected by your Opt Out status. Check on the right for an understanding of the Conduct of Employment Agency Regulations and check your own status as to whether you are opted out or not.

First timers to any site, especially those that have a technical nature are usually presented with a wall of text that often does not include the terms that they are actively interested in. If they don't see their term in the links on the right, they aren't necessarily going to go into each one and look.

Don't feel bad that you didn't see a link to 'Timesheets' on the right - there isn't one

[quackhandle]

Okay admit when I read it again it sounded really naive. But really its the wording that I am asking about not why they need to be approved. Obviously someone has to sign them off etc.

That old chestnut, trying to invoice for 56 days for this month again?

qh