Workforce Operations
How to Correct a Timesheet Without Losing the Audit Trail
A corrected timesheet should explain what changed, why it changed, and who reviewed it. Here is a practical way to keep that history connected.
An employee notices that two hours were charged to the wrong project. The total for the day is correct, but the allocation needs to change.
The corrected timesheet should show accurate hours. Its history should also make the change understandable to someone reviewing it later.
For government contractors, a practical correction process connects the original entry, the explanation, the revised record, and the people responsible for reviewing it.
Start with your written timekeeping procedure
Your procedure should explain who can request a correction, who can make it, and how it moves through review. New hires should hear it during onboarding, before their first submission.
The route may depend on whether the timesheet is still open, already certified, approved, or included in an accounting export.
DCAA’s accounting-system materials discuss employee completion and certification of time records, followed by supervisor approval. Its labor-audit materials also describe reconciling labor charges with payroll records.
The steps below are a practical workflow to discuss with your timekeeping and accounting leads. They are not a complete statement of every requirement that may apply to your organization.
1. Identify the entry and its current status
Record the employee, work date, charge code, and hours involved.
Then check where that entry has already gone. A correction to an open entry may be straightforward. A change to approved or exported time may require additional review and an accounting adjustment.
Check status before editing so the change follows the right route.
2. Preserve the original and explain the change
A useful correction record shows:
- The original hours and charge code.
- The corrected hours and charge code.
- Who initiated and recorded the change.
- When it was recorded.
- The reason and any supporting reference.
- The review or approval outcome.
Write a reason that another reviewer can understand. “Fixed time” leaves unanswered questions. “Two hours of testing were entered against Project A; the work belonged to Project B” provides context.
Use approved internal references when needed. Keep sensitive project details within the appropriate systems.
3. Make the authorized correction
Use the correction process defined by your organization and software.
Keep the date the work occurred separate from the date the correction was recorded. A later correction should remain identifiable as a later action.
Access permissions should reflect responsibilities. If someone records a change on another person’s behalf under an authorized exception, preserve that identity and follow the required confirmation process.
4. Review certification and approval again
An earlier approval may refer to a version of the timesheet that has now changed.
Follow your procedure for employee review, recertification, and supervisor approval. The history should identify which version was reviewed and the outcome of that review.
This is especially important when the daily total stays the same. Moving hours between charge codes can still change how costs are allocated.
A fictional correction example
The following example illustrates a record structure, not a universal approval rule.
| Record detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Employee | Morgan Lee, fictional employee |
| Work date | October 12, 2026 |
| Original allocation | Project A: 8.0 hours |
| Corrected allocation | Project A: 6.0 hours; Project B: 2.0 hours |
| Explanation | Two hours of testing belonged to Project B and were entered against Project A |
| Correction recorded | October 13, 2026 |
| Review | Employee reviewed the revised entry; supervisor approved the corrected version under company procedure |
| Downstream status | Accounting checked whether an earlier version had been exported |
The day still totals eight hours. The allocation and review history explain why the record changed.
5. Reconcile downstream records
A corrected timesheet does not automatically correct every system that previously received it.
Ask the responsible accounting staff whether payroll records, labor distribution, invoices, or earlier exports need attention. Preserve the connection between the correction and any resulting adjustment.
Close the correction when the required reviews and downstream checks are complete.
How HelmRow approaches corrections
HelmRow’s published timekeeping workflow preserves changes as revisions. A correction to certified time withdraws the earlier certification and identifies the reason, allowing the employee to review and certify the corrected record.
Supervisors review time and its history through a separate approval process. The product’s audit controls are designed to retain the sequence of actions.
Explore HelmRow’s timekeeping workflow and audit evidence and controls, or request a demonstration of the correction process.
HelmRow supports compliant timekeeping practices. Compliance depends on your organization’s policies, procedures, internal controls, and implementation.