# Timesheet reminders vs payroll readiness checks: choosing the right workflow

Compare timesheet reminders and payroll readiness checks using the same source packet, distinct useful outputs, and a reviewable Righthand brief.

By Righthand Team · 2026-10-13

Source: https://www.righthand.ai/blog/timesheet-reminders-vs-payroll-readiness-checks

## Quick answer

Use timesheet reminders to prepare requests for missing submissions or approvals. Use payroll readiness checks to organize the owner's evidence that the defined period is ready for its next authorized processing step.

The practical test is the question your reviewer needs answered. Start both workflows from the same dated input packet, then judge the usefulness of their different outputs. Righthand can help prepare either draft from owner-provided records or an approved read view; the reviewer retains authority over decisions and external actions.

## Compare the same input

Use this shared packet: A restricted timesheet export with employee IDs, period, worked hours, submission state, manager approval state, payroll approval state where available, and approved cutoff rules. Keep stable identifiers, source links, and a cutoff so another person can reproduce the comparison. Missing information stays explicitly unknown rather than becoming an invented fact.

| Workflow | Useful output | Review owner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Timesheet reminders | Targeted reminder drafts identifying the exact missing submission or approval | The payroll owner |
| Payroll readiness checks | Readiness register with completeness, approval gaps, duplicates, and owner review exceptions | The payroll owner |

Deputy's timesheet reference distinguishes draft, approved, and payroll-approved states. Those states should not be collapsed into one generic “done” flag. The [official Deputy timesheet states reference](https://developer.deputy.com/docs/timesheets-overview) supports this specific distinction; the rest of the example is a suggested operating practice, not a universal provider feature or requirement.

## Illustrative worked comparison

Illustratively, an employee has submitted hours but the manager has not approved them. The reminder targets the manager's missing step rather than asking the employee to submit again. Readiness shows the unresolved approval and keeps the period pending instead of treating submission as payroll authorization.

Keep assumptions beside the conclusions they affect. The reviewer should see which decision each draft supports without reopening every source.

## Delegation brief for both workflows

> Use only the approved input packet described above, with its recorded cutoff. First, prepare reminder drafts for the appropriate employee or approver based on the exact missing step. Separately, prepare a payroll readiness register for the same period, preserving each approval state and unresolved exception. Use America/Los_Angeles for the review deadline and preserve the original dates and time zones. Run this comparison once and return both drafts in this conversation by Friday at 3 PM Pacific for The payroll owner to review. Include source IDs, missing inputs, assumptions, and a next step with an owner. Do not send messages, modify records, make purchases, or approve decisions. If access is unavailable or the packet contradicts itself, report that limitation before completing the affected section.

## Check the result

Reconcile employee IDs, period boundaries, and hour totals against the export. Verify that the readiness result follows the owner's rules and distinguishes submission from approval.

A completed draft is evidence of preparation, not evidence that its recommended action occurred. The owner should accept or revise the outputs before any separate execution request. For a recurring version, specify the next input window, review deadline, and destination rather than reusing an old snapshot silently.

## Failure and recovery

An overnight shift can be assigned to the wrong period if timestamps are flattened. Preserve source zones and ask payroll to validate the period rule before comparing hours or drafting corrections.

This is administrative preparation, not payroll or employment-law advice. Do not calculate entitlements, approve hours, export payroll, expose unnecessary personal data, or send reminders without approval.

## FAQ

### Should I use both workflows?

Use both when the outputs answer distinct questions that are currently useful. Start with the smaller deliverable when review capacity is limited; preserve the shared source packet so the second can be prepared later without guessing.

### Does delegation require a native integration?

An approved export or owner-prepared packet can support the first comparison. A live read or later write requires verified connection tools and the appropriate permission; a catalog entry alone does not establish either.

Use [Righthand Docs](https://docs.righthand.ai) for delegation and permission guidance, check available [integrations](/integrations), and review [Pricing](/pricing) before expanding the task.