Running payroll can be one of the most tedious and time-consuming processes for any organization. Connecteam is built to simplify payroll, help you reduce errors, and speed up approvals—so you can focus on what matters most.
In this article, you’ll learn the key steps to run payroll using the Time Clock and Timesheets, plus tips to keep your process consistent and reliable.
Step 1: Set Your Payroll Period
The first step is setting your payroll period in the Time Clock.
Open your Time Clock.
Click Settings (top right).
Go to the Payroll tab.
Select the payroll period that fits your needs.
Configure your payroll options, including:
Week starts on (for example, Wednesday)
Payroll cycle type (weekly, bi-weekly, etc.)
Most recent closing date for this cycle
Overnight shift hours allocation (allocate hours to the day the shift starts or ends)
(Optional) Turn on reminders to prompt timesheet reviews.
Click Save Changes.
Please note: By default, you and your users will always see the current payroll period when viewing timesheets.
To view other periods:
Open Timesheets.
Click the Date range selector.
Choose a previous payroll period or set a custom date range.
Important: The system uses fixed date-range presets for payslips (for example, two-week periods running Saturday to Friday) even if your custom payroll cycle is different (for example, Sunday–Saturday). This doesn’t impact timesheet accuracy, but it may require extra attention when importing payslips.
Step 2: Set Payroll Reminders for Users and Managers
Closing payroll only to hear “my pay is wrong” is painful—and usually avoidable.
Payroll reminders help:
Users review their timesheets before submission.
Admins review timesheets and last-minute edit requests before approving.
To enable payroll reminders:
Open your Time Clock.
Click Settings.
Go to the Payroll tab.
Enable:
Remind users to review their timesheets
Remind admins to approve timesheets
Click Save Changes.
Click here to learn more how to set up user and admin payroll reminders.
Step 3: Approve or Decline Pending Changes
After users review their timesheets, they may submit edit requests. Before you review timesheets for payroll, you’ll want to handle those requests first.
To review pending requests:
Open Timesheets.
Click Pending Requests.
Review each request.
Click Approve or Decline.
This step helps you avoid reviewing and approving timesheets, only to redo the process later due to late changes.
Step 4: Timesheet Submissions
A key part of payroll is having users submit their timesheets for admin approval. This confirms that the user has:
Reviewed their timesheet
Seen whether their edit requests were approved or declined
Submitted a final version for approval
To enable timesheet approvals:
Open your Time Clock.
Click Settings.
Go to the Payroll tab.
Turn on Timesheet Approval.
We strongly recommend enabling Require users to submit their timesheets so users review thoroughly.
Click Save Changes.
To track which timesheets were submitted:
Go to the Timesheets tab.
Find the User Submission column:
Open = not submitted yet
Submitted = ready for admin review
Step 5: Review Timesheets and Issues
Once users submit their timesheets, admins should review everything one final time to make sure there are no unresolved issues.
To review a user’s timesheet:
Open Timesheets.
Click the user to open their timesheet.
Check the Issues column (next to the date column).
This appears in red with an exclamation icon on dates that need attention.
Click the exclamation icon to see what needs to be handled.
The Issues column supports:
Conflicts
Pending timesheet requests
Pending time off requests
To resolve an issue, you can:
Click the exclamation icon → click Review → Approve/Decline, or
Click the three dots → Ignore the issue (if appropriate)
Editing Shortcuts
During payroll review, you may need to adjust worked hours. These editing actions are designed to be quick:
Edit clock-in/clock-out time
Edit break hours
Add daily hours (add a set number of hours without clock-in/out times)
Add weekly hours (add a set number of hours for the week without clock-in/out times)
Action Shortcuts
To speed up payroll review, you also have these tools available:
Chat: Click the chat icon next to a user’s name to message them about timesheet questions
Next employee: Use the top-right navigation to move between users quickly
Export: Export an individual timesheet as Excel or PDF
Add shift: Click Add shift or hover over a row and click the + icon
Add break: Click Add break or hover over a row and click the + icon
Add time off: Click Add time off to add time off hours
Delete shift: Hover over a shift and click the trash icon
On the right side of the timesheet, admins can add manager notes for a specific shift. Users can also add notes when they clock out or when they edit a shift.
💡 Tip: Check Timesheet Conflicts at the top right of the timesheet to catch overlaps and avoid paying duplicate hours.
Step 6: Approve Timesheets
To ensure hours in Connecteam match your payroll system, admins can approve timesheets so no one can accidentally change them afterward.
To track approval status:
Go to the Timesheets tab.
Use the Admin Approval column (next to User Submission) to see which timesheets:
Still need approval, or
Are approved and ready to export for payroll
Step 7: Export Timesheets for Payroll
After all timesheets are approved, export them for payroll. You can choose one of three export methods:
Option 1: Use a default Time Clock export
Export using one of Connecteam’s built-in export formats.
Option 2: Create a custom export
Create a custom export to choose:
Which fields to export
The order of the fields
This makes repeat payroll exports faster and more consistent.
Option 3: Export via a payroll integration
Connecteam supports exports to:
Xero
ADP Workforce Now Next Gen (ADP WFN Canada)
In addition, we also have export templates available for:
💡 Tip: You can automate part of your payroll workflow using periodic auto reports for timesheets and payroll exports. These reports can be sent to any email address you choose. Please note that auto reports are available on the Expert plan under the Operations hub.
Best Practices for Payroll Alignment
Synchronize Job Schedule and Timesheets: If you modify the payroll week start day in Timesheets, make sure it matches the week start day in the Job Schedule to prevent reporting mismatches.
Update for payslip behaviors: Payslips use a fixed date-range preset regardless of your custom payroll settings, which may affect import behavior.
Handling Transitions Between Time Clocks
If you’re transitioning payroll cycles to a new Time Clock setup without overlaps:
Complete the current cycle in the existing Time Clock before starting the new one.
Do not add extra timesheets for interim days that match the old cycle.
Archive the old Time Clock after the transition day so all users switch seamlessly.
Summary
By following these 7 steps, you can reduce payroll errors, avoid last-minute surprises, and save valuable admin time. Keeping best practices in mind—and understanding system behaviors like payslip date ranges—helps ensure accurate, consistent payroll and smoother transitions between workflows.
FAQ
Why do payslip date ranges look different than my payroll cycle?
Payslips use fixed date-range presets (for example, two-week periods running Saturday to Friday). This doesn’t change your timesheet accuracy, but it may require extra attention when importing payslips.
How do I know which timesheets are ready for admin review?
In the Timesheets tab, check the User Submission column. Submitted means the user has finalized the timesheet and it’s ready for review.
What happens after I approve a timesheet?
Approving a timesheet helps prevent accidental edits so the hours you export match what you reviewed and approved.
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