Reviewing and Approving Team Expenses
As a Manager, your role is to ensure that submitted expenses are legitimate, accurately categorized, and backed by a valid receipt. Your approval is the final trigger that allows these costs to be sent to the Finance/Payroll department for reimbursement.
1. Accessing Pending Requests
When a team member submits an expense, you will receive a notification. You can review these in two ways:
• Mobile App: Open the menu and tap “Expense Approvals.” This is perfect for quick approvals while on the go.
• Web Dashboard: Navigate to the Expenses module and filter the status to “Pending.”
2. The Review Process (Audit Checklist)
Before clicking approve, perform these three quick checks:
1. Receipt Verification: Click on the attachment icon to view the receipt. Does the amount entered match the receipt? Is the date correct?
2. Category Accuracy: Ensure the employee selected the correct category (e.g., making sure a personal meal wasn’t accidentally labeled as “Office Supplies”).
3. Project Allocation: If your team works on specific client projects, verify that the expense is linked to the correct Project ID for accurate billing.
3. Taking Action: Approve, Decline, or Comment
- Once you have reviewed the details, you have three options:
- Approve : The expense is verified. It moves to the “Approved” list and is automatically queued for the next payroll cycle.
- Decline : Use this if the expense is not business-related or is a duplicate. o Note: Always provide a reason in the “Comments” box when declining.
- Request Info/Send Back: If the receipt image is blurry or information is missing, add a comment like “Please upload a clearer photo of the receipt” and leave it as pending. The employee will see your comment in their app.
4. Manager Reports
To help you stay within your department’s budget, you can generate summaries:
- Monthly Team Summary: View the total spend per category for your entire team.
- Project Costing: See how much “extra” cost was added to a specific project beyond the hours worked.