The short answer
Before any timesheet is approved, check that the dates match shifts you actually worked, that the hours look right against what you remember, and that anything unusual like a cancellation or overnight is noted. Raise mismatches with your manager before approval, not after.
Once a manager approves a timesheet, the hours on it are usually locked in for pay and invoicing. That makes the few minutes before approval the best time to catch a mistake, not after it has already gone through.
Why this check matters more than it seems
A roster is a plan. What actually happened on the day can differ from it, a shift ran long, you covered someone else's slot, a cancellation turned into a shorter visit. Timesheets are usually built from a mix of rostered times and the times you signed in and out. If either of those is wrong and nobody notices, the wrong hours can end up approved.
What to look at before anything is approved
- The date and the client or shift actually match what you worked, not a similar shift from another day
- The start and finish times look right, whether that is the rostered time or your own sign in and sign out
- Any shift that ran over, started late, or was cut short is reflected, not just the original plan
- Travel time between clients is included if you were expecting it to be
- Anything unusual is noted somewhere, a last minute cancellation, an incident, a 2:1 or group shift you shared with another worker
- You have not double counted a shift that was later changed, swapped or cancelled
If something looks off
Flag it to your manager or coordinator before it is approved. Say what you noticed and which shift it relates to, for example a finish time that does not match what you worked. You are not calculating what you are owed and you should not need to, that is a payroll and employer matter. Your job is to confirm the record is accurate, not to work out the dollar figure behind it.
Employee or independent worker, the check looks different
If you are employed by a provider, someone else, usually an admin or coordinator, reviews and approves the week's hours before they go anywhere near pay or invoicing. Many providers use rostering software where you can see your own upcoming and finished shifts, including the rostered times and whatever sign in and sign out times were recorded, sometimes before your manager has approved anything. You do not need to buy or run any software yourself to do this check, it is part of your existing employee access.
If you work independently, as a sole trader managing your own clients, there is no manager approving a timesheet behind the scenes. You are recording your own shift notes and raising your own invoices. Tools built for that kind of independent work, such as Sparks Scribe, are designed around a single worker capturing notes and invoicing their own clients rather than a team being rostered and approved by someone else. It is a different setup to being an employee checking hours before a manager's approval.
A quick fictional example
This example is fictional and anonymous. A support worker picks up a shift that was meant to run two hours but ends up taking two and a half hours because the participant needed extra support finishing a task. Before the week is approved, the worker notices the timesheet still shows the original two hour booking. They message their coordinator with the date and shift, the coordinator checks it and updates the record before approving the week. No guessing was involved, just a quick comparison and a timely heads up.
Related reading
For more on keeping your records clear day to day, see 6 Small Habits That Make Support Worker Handovers Clearer and Shift Changed at the Last Minute? Here Is What to Check Before You Go, both on this site.
Frequently asked questions
What if there are no sign in and sign out times recorded for my shift?
Some systems only use the rostered time if no sign in or out was recorded. If that rostered time does not match what you actually worked, tell your manager before the shift is approved so it can be corrected.
Should I just accept whatever hours are on the roster even if I worked different hours?
No. Flag the difference to your manager or coordinator with the date and shift details. It is their job to check and correct it, not yours to quietly accept or adjust.
Can I ask to see my hours before they are approved?
Yes, it is reasonable to ask your manager or coordinator how you can check your own rostered and recorded hours for the week before approval, especially if you have had a shift change recently.
What if my timesheet has already been approved and I spot an error afterwards?
Tell your manager as soon as you notice. Depending on the system, an approved shift can sometimes be reopened and corrected, but that decision sits with whoever manages payroll, not with you.
Does checking my hours mean checking my pay rate too?
No. Checking your hours means confirming the dates, times and any noted extras are accurate. Working out pay rates, allowances or what you are owed is a payroll and employer matter, not something you are expected to calculate yourself.