Closing the Pay Week
Close a client's pay week in five steps: check exceptions, approve what is left, lock the week so its figures are frozen, export the Sage payroll file and open the charge schedule.
Overview
One page takes a week from clocked hours to a payroll file.
Close week works on one client and one pay week at a time. The week runs from the pay-week start day set in Settings (Monday by default), and the approval cut-off shown at the top of the page comes from the same settings.
Once a week is locked, nobody can change its shifts, and payroll, the Sage file, the Xero export and the margin report all use the frozen figures from that moment.
Before you start
- Agency console: the Close week permission (Super admin, Admin or the Payroll preset). Client dashboard: tenant admin.
- Your Sage payment references set in Settings > Sage payroll export (see Sage payroll file)
- Rate rules for the client's sites, so every shift has a pay and charge rate
Open Close Week
Pick the client and the week.
Go to Close week
In the agency console open Time & Pay > Close week. On the client dashboard it is Time & Pay > Close week too.
Choose the client and week
Pick the Client, enter Any day in the pay week and click Show week. Use Previous week and Next week to move along.
Step 1: Check Exceptions
Red items stop the lock. The rest are worth a look.
| Check | Blocks the lock? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Not approved | Yes | Approve in step 2, or fix the entry first. |
| Waiting for client sign-off | Yes, when the client must approve first | Chase the client, or ask them to approve in the portal. |
| Disputed or open query | Yes | Resolve the query on the Queries page. |
| Missing clock-out | Yes | Click Fix entry and close the shift with a reason. |
| Rejected by the client | No, but it stays out of pay | Correct the shift and get it approved again. |
| Walk-ins, cancelled but clocked, short shifts, clocked off site, risk flags, offline conflicts | No | Review and fix anything that is wrong. |
| No pay rate, no charge rate, over maximum weekly hours | No | Add the missing rate rule or check the hours. |
A missing pay or charge rate means the line is paid or charged at £0.00 until you add one. Each row has a Fix entry link, and Download exception report (CSV) gives you the full list.
Step 2: Approve the Remaining Shifts
One click for everything that is ready.
Click Approve all remaining. Shifts that are disputed, under query, rejected by the client, missing a clock-out or in a locked period are skipped. Every approval is written to the audit log.
Step 3: Lock the Week
Freeze the figures.
Enter a Reason if you want one on record and click Lock week. TempClock takes a snapshot of every priced line for the week. Only a super admin can unlock a week, with a reason, from Financial locks.
A super admin can tick Lock anyway when red items remain. Shifts that are not approved then stay out of pay for that week. Use it sparingly.
Step 4: Export to Sage
The file comes from the frozen figures.
Click Preview the Sage file to check it, then Export to Sage. The file has one line per worker per pay element (basic, overtime, weekend, Sunday, bank holiday, night, guarantee) with your payment references. Each export is recorded as a numbered batch and kept, so you can download it again exactly as sent. Exporting again asks for a reason.
Step 5: Charge Schedule
Invoice the same week.
Click Open the charge schedule to see the chargeable hours for the client and week, ready to invoice. See The Charge Schedule.
After Closing
Changes after the week is closed.
Know who turned up, and pay every hour right.
Face-verified clock-ins, live geofencing and payroll-ready timesheets in one system. Tell us how your shifts run and we will show you how it fits.
App hosted in the UK · Onboarding led by a pilot site · No app needed to clock in