Timesheets

On a contract placement, revenue comes from the time actually worked, not from a fee agreed up front. Timesheets give you one place to see what has been worked, what has been approved, and what has been invoiced, on the placement itself. The flow is the same every time: set up a rate card once per placement, log a timesheet for each period, have it approved, and invoice it. None of this needs Xero. Connect Xero and the invoices go to Xero as drafts; without it, Spott creates the invoice itself.

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1. Set up a rate card

A rate card sets what you charge the client and pay the contractor for the days and times worked, and which pay code applies. New timesheet stays disabled until the placement has a rate card, so this comes first.

1. Open the contract placement and choose Create rate card from the ⋮ menu.
2. Pick a Template if your admin has created one, or fill in the fields yourself:
   • Name, for example “Standard rates”.
   • Pay code, the code the time is invoiced under. With Xero connected, these are synced from your Xero items.
   • Unit, Day or Hour. If you only bill daily, use Day.
   • Currency, Base charge rate (billed to the client) and Base pay rate (paid to the contractor).
3. Click Next to add rules for rates that differ from the base, such as overtime. For each rule, set:
   • Rule name, for example “Overtime”.
   • Applies to, the whole day or part of the day. Part of the day takes a start and end time and is only available on hourly rate cards.
   • Days, for example Saturday and Sunday.
   • Pay code, Billable, Charge rate and Pay rate.
4. Add more rules with + Add rule, then click Create.

Admins can save reusable rate cards under Settings → Templates → Rate Card Templates → Rate Cards. If a template leaves the charge and pay rates blank, Spott uses the rates from the placement.

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2. Log a timesheet

1. On the placement, choose New timesheet from the ⋮ menu. The Timesheets tab only appears once the placement has its first timesheet, and from then on it carries its own button for the next one.
2. Period: choose This week, Last week, Last 2 weeks, This month or Custom. A timesheet must fall within the placement dates and cannot overlap an existing one.
3. Leave Prefill the week from the working schedule ticked to start from the placement’s normal working days and hours.
4. Days / Hours: adjust what was worked.
   • Daily rate cards: toggle each day worked. Only full days are supported.
   • Hourly rate cards: set start and end times per day. Double-click the bar to add another block, for example evening overtime. Each color is a different rate card rule.
5. Check: review the total time, charge and pay per day, then click Next and Save.

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3. Review, submit and approve

The Timesheets tab on the placement lists every period with its status. Open one to see the breakdown: the hours or days worked on each day, which rule applied, and the charge and pay that adds up to. A saved timesheet starts as Draft. From the ⋮ menu on its row, choose Submit, then Approve once the client has signed off. You can also Edit or Void it.

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4. Invoice approved timesheets

Only Approved timesheets can be invoiced. Click New invoice on the placement, choose Specific timesheets, and tick the ones to bill. Several timesheets can go on one invoice, and once invoiced, each timesheet links to its invoice on the Invoices tab beside Timesheets. Spott fills in the line items from the timesheets, split by rate, so standard and overtime hours appear separately. The full walkthrough, including the Xero contact and invoice status, is in Invoicing with Xero.

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Frequently asked

• Why is New timesheet greyed out? The placement has no rate card yet. Create one first.
• Can contractors submit their own timesheets? Not yet. Timesheets are logged, submitted and approved by your team in Spott.
• Can I invoice a draft or submitted timesheet? No. Only approved timesheets can be ticked when you create an invoice.