Administrator Overtime Request Management Documentation

Table of Contents

1. Overview

The Overtime Request Module allows administrators to view, manage, review and approve employee overtime submissions. It integrates with DTR (timekeeping) and payroll so approved overtime is logged for compensation and reporting.

2. Overtime Module Purpose

Primary goals:

  • Receive and track overtime requests from employees
  • Validate overtime against policy and schedules
  • Approve, reject or request modification
  • Sync approved overtime with payroll and DTR
  • Provide reporting and audit trail for overtime activities

Who uses it:

  • Employees (submit requests)
  • Department managers (review / approve)
  • HR / Payroll (final verification and processing)
  • Administrators (full control / override)

3. Access & Permissions

Recommended roles and actions:

  • Admin — Full access: view, approve, override, edit and delete overtime requests.
  • HR Manager — View, review, approve for payroll.
  • Department Manager — Review/approve requests for their team.
  • Employee — Create / view own overtime requests (not in admin docs but noted).

URL paths:

  • Index: /admin/overtime-request
  • Detail: /admin/overtime-request/{id}/show

4. Interface Layout (Admin)

Primary views exist in the admin UI:

  • Index (list) — Tabular listing of requests with quick filters and bulk actions.

    • Columns typically include: Request #, Employee, Dept, Date, Start/End Time, Hours, Reason, Status, Submitted, Actions.
    • Quick actions: Approve, Reject, View, Export.

  • Detail (show) — Full request details:

    • Employee profile, request timestamps, breakdown of hours, attachments (e.g., supervisor notes, evidence), approval history, payroll flags, DTR sync status.
    • Action controls: Approve / Reject / Request Change / Add Note / Sync to Payroll.

Views available in the codebase:

  • resources/views/users/admin/overtime-request/index.blade.php
  • resources/views/users/admin/overtime-request/show.blade.php

5. Key Features

  • Request listing with sorting, status badges and pagination
  • Per-request details and proof/attachment support
  • Accurate hours calculation (start/end times, breaks)
  • Policy validations (max hours, rest periods, blackout periods)
  • Multi-level approvals and audit trail logging
  • Integration markers for payroll/DTR sync
  • Bulk approve/reject and export to CSV/Excel
  • Automated notifications and reminders

6. Managing Overtime Requests

Admin workflows:

  • Review pending requests — use filters to show Pending status and department.
  • Inspect details on show page — verify hours, attachments and justification.
  • Validate policy compliance — check max hours/day/week and rest rules.
  • Approve — logs approver, timestamp, updates status and notifies payroll/DTR.
  • Reject — provide reason and suggested alternative if applicable.
  • Request change — ask requester to update times or provide documentation.
  • Bulk operations — approve/reject multiple requests from index view.

Important UI elements:

  • Status badge (Pending, Approved, Rejected, Requires Info)
  • Approval history — shows every reviewer and action with timestamp
  • Payroll sync status — indicates whether request is included in payroll run

7. Policies & Rules

Common rules enforced by the system:

  • Maximum overtime hours per shift/day/week (configured per policy).
  • Minimum rest hours required between shifts.
  • Mandatory manager approval before payroll inclusion.
  • Allowed blackout periods when overtime requests are restricted.
  • Required attachments for certain overtime reasons (e.g., on-call leak, emergency).
  • Auto-escalation for overtime requests over configured thresholds.

Admin policy actions:

  • Override exceptions for legitimate cases (must record reason).
  • Flag payroll-excluded overtime (e.g., unpaid or discretionary).

8. Filters, Search & Reports

Filters commonly available on the index:

  • Status: Pending / Approved / Rejected / Needs Info
  • Date range / Specific date
  • Department / Location / Employee
  • Payroll status (Included / Not included)
  • Hours range (e.g., > 4 hrs)

Search tips:

  • Search by request number, employee name or employee ID.
  • Combine filters (e.g., Pending + Dept + Date range) to narrow results.

Reports:

  • Overtime summary by employee/department/date range
  • Payroll-ready overtime exports
  • Compliance reports (excess hours, policy violations)
  • Audit logs for approvals and overrides

9. Approval Workflow

Typical flow:

  1. Employee submits overtime request.
  2. Department manager reviews and either Approves, Rejects or Requests Info.
  3. If approved and overtime exceeds thresholds, HR/Payroll review may be required.
  4. Approved requests marked for DTR/payroll sync.
  5. Admin/HR can override or add manual entries when necessary.

Best practices:

  • Enforce SLA for manager review (e.g., 24–48 hours).
  • Require clear justification/notes for exceptions and overrides.
  • Keep attachments with request for audit.

Automation:

  • Auto-reminders for pending approvals.
  • Auto-escalation to HR for requests that breach limits.

10. Common Tasks

  • Submit new request (employee flow — admin can create on behalf of employee if needed).
  • Approve single request: Open request -> verify -> Approve.
  • Bulk approve: Select multiple pending requests -> Confirm -> Approve -> Mark for payroll.
  • Sync approved requests with payroll / DTR: Trigger manual sync or verify automated sync status.
  • Export filtered requests: Export CSV/Excel for payroll processing.

11. Troubleshooting

Common issues and fixes:

  • "Request missing on index"

    • Confirm filter settings (date, status, department).
    • Ensure request was submitted and not saved as draft.

  • "Hours calculation mismatch"

    • Check provided start/end times and break entries.
    • Validate timezone settings and day boundary handling.

  • "Can't approve request"

    • Verify user has approve permissions.
    • Check whether request is locked by another reviewer or already processed.

  • "Payroll not updated"

    • Confirm payroll sync status on request details.
    • Check payroll integration logs and retry manual sync.

  • "Policy violation flags"

    • Review details and attachments.
    • If valid, escalate and document override; otherwise reject with reason.

Contact internal IT or payroll team when integration issues or data inconsistencies are detected.

Document version: 1.0
Last updated: December 5, 2025