Submitting a timecard through Cast & Crew Hours+ doesn’t necessarily mean the record has completed its review process.
A crew member can finish entering hours, sign the timecard, and still see it waiting for approval. In some situations, a timecard can even return for corrections after it has already been submitted.
Hours+ uses a multi-stage approval workflow, and understanding who needs to act next makes the process considerably easier to follow.
Creating a Timecard Is Not the Same as Submitting It
Hours+ allows crew members to create their own timecards through the My Timecards section.
After selecting the appropriate production and workweek, users enter their daily work information.
Depending on the production, this can include day types, call times, meal periods, and wrap times.
The system also supports copying information from previous timecards when the schedule is similar.
However, entering all the required information doesn’t automatically send the timecard for approval.
What Happens When You Click Save?
The Save button stores the current information so you can return to it later.
This is useful when a workweek isn’t finished or certain details still need confirmation.
A saved timecard remains unfinished until the submission process is completed.
It’s worth checking this distinction because a timecard can contain all the correct hours while still waiting for its owner to submit it.
Submitting Requires an Additional Confirmation
Once the timecard is ready, select Submit.
Hours+ then requires an electronic acknowledgment.
According to Cast & Crew’s instructions, crew members enter their name to sign the timecard and select Approve to send it into the review workflow.
This final confirmation is important.
Simply saving the record or opening the submission screen doesn’t complete the process.
Why Your Department Head May Be Involved
Hours+ supports different roles, including crew members, department heads, and accounting personnel.
A department head can review timecards belonging to their assigned crew.
The reviewer checks the information and decides whether the record is ready to continue.
If something is incorrect, the timecard can be rejected and returned for correction.
This means the crew member’s submission is only one stage in a larger process.
What Happens When a Timecard Is Rejected?
A rejected timecard requires additional attention.
Cast & Crew requires department heads to provide a reason when rejecting a timecard.
The comment helps explain which information needs correction.
Possible issues might involve an incorrect workday, missing time entry, or another discrepancy identified during review.
Rather than creating a duplicate timecard, open the returned record and review the feedback.
Make the necessary corrections before submitting it again.
When Someone Else Creates Your Timecard
Hours+ also allows department heads or accounting personnel to prepare timecards on behalf of crew members.
This creates a different workflow from entering your own hours.
When a timecard has been prepared for you, open the record and review its contents.
If everything is correct, select Approve.
If something needs to change, select Edit instead.
The system requires a comment explaining the modification because the record is being returned for further review.
After making the corrections, select Submit to send it back to the appropriate department or accounting team.
Why Approval Can Take Longer Than Expected
A timecard may pass through multiple reviewers before reaching its final stage.
For example, a crew member may approve a timecard prepared by a department head, after which another reviewer must examine it.
Accounting personnel may also need to review the information and return records requiring correction.
A delay doesn’t automatically mean that the timecard was lost or that the submission failed.
It may simply be waiting for the next person in the configured approval sequence.
How Production Administrators Track Pending Records
Hours+ provides reporting tools for users with the appropriate permissions.
The Pending Timecard report identifies records that haven’t completed their approval workflow.
It can show timecards returned for corrections and records waiting for final approval.
The report also identifies the current approver.
This helps production administrators determine where a timecard is waiting rather than assuming every unfinished record requires action from the crew member.
Why the Correct Workweek Matters
Before submitting a timecard, confirm that it belongs to the correct reporting period.
Hours+ allows users to select a workweek when creating a record.
A production may have several consecutive workweeks available, particularly when a crew member is completing earlier records.
Entering accurate hours under the wrong period can create unnecessary corrections.
The production name and week-ending date are worth checking before submission.
Overnight Work Requires Special Attention
Cast & Crew documents a particular convention for entering overnight work in military-time format.
For example, a shift beginning at 7 PM and ending at 7 AM the following morning can be entered using 19 for the call time and 31 for the wrap time.
This keeps the overnight period within one continuous calculation.
Entering the next morning as 07 without following the required format can cause confusion.
Check the time-entry format used by your production before completing an overnight shift.
A Completed Submission Isn’t Always a Completed Review
The main distinction in Hours+ is between finishing your own part of a timecard and completing the entire approval process.
Saving preserves an unfinished record.
Submitting and signing sends the timecard for review.
A rejection returns it for correction, while subsequent approval stages may require action from department heads or other authorized reviewers.
When an Hours+ timecard appears to be delayed, check its current status and any available reviewer comments before making changes. The record may be waiting for approval rather than another submission from you.
