# An employee cannot submit their timesheet

- URL: https://www.usewisecost.com/help/troubleshooting/cannot-submit-timesheet-expected-hours
- Audience: Admins, Team members
- Last updated: 2026-09-19
- Part of the WiseCost Help Center: https://www.usewisecost.com/help

> A timesheet cannot be submitted in WiseCost until it reaches the employee's expected hours, when the company requires them. Here is how to fix it.

If WiseCost does not let an employee submit their timesheet, the usual reason is expected hours. When a company turns on **Require expected hours to submit** and the employee has expected hours set, the timesheet cannot be sent until the period's total reaches them. The header of the timesheet shows the gap as "X of Y hours".

## If you are the employee

1. Look at the header of your timesheet. It shows the hours you logged and the hours expected for the period.
2. Log the time that is missing. Days off count too: log PTO, holiday or other internal time if your company has it enabled.
3. Submit again once the total reaches the expected hours.

Hours above the expected total are never a problem. They are allowed and your approver sees them flagged. The employee version of this article is [Why can't I submit my timesheet?](https://www.usewisecost.com/help/employees/why-cant-i-submit-my-timesheet).

## If you are the admin

- **The figure is wrong for this person.** Correct **Expected hrs/week** on their row in **Company Setup → Employees**, for example for a part-time employee.
- **It should not apply to this person.** Clear their expected hours. Employees with no expected hours are not affected.
- **Nobody can log PTO or holiday.** Enable those accounts in [Internal and indirect time](https://www.usewisecost.com/help/time-tracking/internal-and-indirect-time).
- **You do not want the requirement.** Turn off **Require expected hours to submit** in **Company Setup → Company settings → Compliance**.

More in [Requiring expected hours](https://www.usewisecost.com/help/time-tracking/requiring-expected-hours).