# Requiring employees to log their expected hours

- URL: https://www.usewisecost.com/help/time-tracking/requiring-expected-hours
- Audience: Admins
- Last updated: 2026-09-19
- Part of the WiseCost Help Center: https://www.usewisecost.com/help

> Require employees to log 100% of their expected hours in WiseCost: set hours per week per employee and turn on Require expected hours to submit.

To require employees to log 100% of their expected hours in WiseCost, turn on **Require expected hours to submit** in **Company Setup → Company settings → Compliance**, and enter each person's expected hours per week in **Company Setup → Employees**. An employee with expected hours cannot submit a timesheet until the period's total reaches them. Hours above the expectation are always allowed and are flagged for the approver.

**Who can do this:** an Administrator.

## What expected hours are

**Expected hours** are an optional weekly figure per employee, for example 40. They exist so a timesheet reflects the total of a person's activity, not only the hours charged to contracts or awards. That is what DCAA calls total time accounting, and what time and effort reporting under 2 CFR 200.430 asks of records that support salaries charged to federal awards.

## Set it up

1. Go to **Company Setup → Employees**.
2. In the **Expected hrs/week** column, enter the weekly hours of each employee it applies to. Leave it empty for anyone it does not apply to.
3. Go to **Company Setup → Company settings → Compliance**.
4. In the **Time entry** card, turn on **Require expected hours to submit**.

[Screenshot: Employees table with expected hours per week, approver and backup approver columns]

## What the employee sees

The header of their timesheet shows "X of Y hours" for the period. Until X reaches Y, they cannot send the timesheet for approval. To get there they log the rest of their time, including internal time such as PTO or holiday. See [Internal and indirect time](https://www.usewisecost.com/help/time-tracking/internal-and-indirect-time).

## What the approver sees

Hours over the expectation are never blocked. In the **Time Sheets** list the timesheet carries a badge, "Over expected: +Xh", so the approver notices. It is informational.

## Who it does not apply to

- An employee with no expected hours entered. The requirement does not touch them.
- Everyone, while **Require expected hours to submit** is off. The figure on the employee is then only a reference.

Compliance presets never change this switch. It is yours to decide.

## Undo it

Turn the switch off, or clear the employee's **Expected hrs/week**. The change is recorded in the Audit Trail with its old and new value.

## Common questions

### An employee says they cannot submit their timesheet. Why?

Most likely their total is below their expected hours for the period. Send them [Why can't I submit my timesheet?](https://www.usewisecost.com/help/employees/why-cant-i-submit-my-timesheet).

### Can employees log more than their expected hours?

Yes. Hours above the expectation are always allowed. The approver sees an "Over expected" badge.

### Do part-time employees need a different number?

Yes. Expected hours are set per employee, so enter each person's own weekly figure.

## Further reading

- [DCAA Timekeeping Requirements: What Auditors Actually Check and How to Pass](https://www.usewisecost.com/blog/dcaa-timekeeping-requirements-auditors-check)
- [How to Prepare Your Team for a DCAA Floor Check](https://www.usewisecost.com/blog/prepare-team-dcaa-floor-check)