> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.fieldtime.gaitools.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Get Started with FieldTime in Five Steps
> Set up your FieldTime account, log your first time entry, and submit your first timesheet in under ten minutes.
FieldTime gets you from sign-in to submitted timesheet in just a few minutes. This guide walks you through your very first session — signing in, orienting yourself on the dashboard, recording time, and sending your timesheet through the approval chain. Follow each step in order and you'll be fully set up before your first break.
Your admin assigns you to projects in Vantagepoint or directly in FieldTime. If you don't see a project listed when you try to record time, contact your admin before logging hours.
Open your organization's FieldTime URL in any modern browser and enter your **work email address** and **password**, then click **Sign In**.
**First time signing in?** Your admin creates your account and sends you a temporary password. The moment you sign in with that temporary password, FieldTime detects that a password change is required and redirects you to the **Change Password** screen before you can go anywhere else. Choose a strong password, confirm it, and submit. You'll land on your dashboard immediately after.
**Forgot your password?** Click **Reset Password** on the login page. Enter your work email address and follow the link in the email you receive.
Bookmark your FieldTime URL after your first login so you don't have to look it up each morning.
After signing in you land on your **Dashboard**. What you see depends on your role and employment type.
If you are a **non-exempt** employee, your dashboard shows a **Punch Clock** shortcut card. FieldTime routes non-exempt employees directly to the Punch Clock because your hours are tracked by actual clock-in and clock-out events, not by entering a number. If you have any timesheets that need revision, an amber **Timesheet Revision Needed** banner appears above the shortcut — click **Fix Revision** to address it before starting new entries.
If you are an **exempt** employee, your dashboard shows a **Quick Time Entry** card where you can log hours for today's date without opening the full timesheet. Select a project, phase, task, and labor classification, enter hours, add optional notes, and click **Add Time**. For the full weekly entry form — including clock-in/out times and meal break tracking — navigate to **Punch Clock** in the sidebar (the page title will read "Time Entry" for exempt users).
If you are a **Project Manager**, **Supervisor**, or **Admin**, your dashboard shows an **Operations Overview**: a Quick Time Entry card for your own hours, a **Today's Coverage** card showing how many employees are clocked in right now, and a paginated **Employee Time Entries** table you can filter by date, project, phase, task, labor classification, and clocked-in status. Use the day navigation arrows to move between dates within the current timesheet week.
How you record time depends on your **employment type**, which your admin sets when they create your account.
Non-exempt employees use the real-time Punch Clock at **`/punch`** (click **Punch Clock** in the sidebar).
1. Click **Clock In**. Your shift timer starts immediately.
2. An **assignment form** appears inside the active-shift banner. Select your **project** (type to filter the list), then select a **phase** and **task** if your project has them.
3. Select your **labor classification** — this determines whether prevailing-wage overtime rules apply to your shift.
4. Click **Confirm Assignment**.
Once assigned, FieldTime shows you a live elapsed timer and a real-time **CA Labor Code §512** meal break countdown. When you are within 30 minutes of the 5-hour meal break deadline the banner turns amber; at the deadline it turns red and a one-hour premium is triggered.
**During your shift:**
* Click **Start Meal Break** when you begin your unpaid meal period. Click **End Meal Break** when you return.
* If you move to a different project mid-shift, click **Switch Project** — FieldTime ends the current punch and opens a new one at the same instant. The shift counts as continuous for §512 purposes.
* To add shift notes that carry over to your timesheet, use the **Notes** field in the active-shift banner.
When you are done for the day, click **Clock Out** and confirm. FieldTime will warn you if you try to clock out while on a meal break or before assigning a project.
Ending a meal break before 30 minutes have elapsed means the break does not satisfy California Labor Code §512. FieldTime displays a warning dialog — read it carefully before you confirm returning to work.
Exempt employees use the Manual Time Entry form at **`/punch`** (the page title reads "Time Entry"). The form on the left is for creating or editing entries; the table on the right shows all entries for the current week.
1. Select a **project** from the dropdown (grouped into Direct, Indirect, Administrative, and Other).
2. Select a **phase** and **task** if required. FieldTime marks these required for new entries on projects that have phase/task structure.
3. Optionally enter **clock-in** and **clock-out** times — FieldTime auto-calculates hours and deducts meal breaks for you. If you skip the clock times, enter **hours worked** directly.
4. Add meal break times if applicable. Check **No meal break** to skip. Enable the **Add second meal break** toggle for shifts over 10 hours.
5. Select your **labor classification** and add any optional **notes**.
6. Click **Create Entry**. The entry appears in the week table on the right.
Repeat for each day and project combination in the week. The **Week Total** in the table header updates as you add entries.
When you are ready to move entries into the approval workflow, click **Transfer Entries to Timesheet →** at the bottom of the page. FieldTime consolidates all entries for the week and takes you to the Timesheet page.
If you enter clock-in and clock-out times, the **Hours Worked** field calculates automatically and becomes read-only (shown in indigo). You cannot override a calculated value — clear the clock times first if you need to enter hours manually.
Navigate to **Timesheets** in the sidebar (path `/timesheet`). FieldTime shows your current week by default; use the week navigation arrows to move between weeks.
The timesheet page shows:
* A **weekly grid** with your time entries grouped by day
* A **Compliance Panel** that flags any CA Labor Code issues — missing meal breaks, overtime thresholds, or entries without a labor classification
* A **summary table** of total hours by project, phase, and task
Before you can submit, FieldTime runs a compliance check. If the Compliance Panel shows any findings, review each one. Some findings block submission (shown in red); others are warnings you must acknowledge (shown in amber).
When you are ready:
1. Click **Submit Timesheet** (or **Submit for Review** if this is a revision).
2. Read the **certification statement** — it affirms that your hours represent all time worked, are accurate to the project, phase, and task shown, and that you understand the records may support government contract billings.
3. Check the acknowledgment box and click **Certify & Submit**.
FieldTime records the exact certification text you saw at the moment of submission as part of the permanent audit trail.
You cannot edit time entries after submitting your timesheet unless a reviewer sends it back for revision. Double-check your entries and resolve all compliance findings before you certify.
After you submit, your timesheet enters a **three-tier approval chain**. You can follow its progress any time by returning to **Timesheets** and checking the status badge in the week header.
| Status | Meaning |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Submitted** | Awaiting Project Manager review |
| **In Review** | A reviewer has opened it |
| **Revision Requested** | A reviewer sent it back — see the amber banner on your dashboard |
| **Approved** | Passed all three tiers |
| **Locked** | Payroll has finalized it — no further changes are possible |
**The approval path:**
1. **Project Manager** reviews individual time entries. They can approve entries, flag issues, or reject individual lines.
2. **Supervisor** reviews the full weekly timesheet. They can approve it or request a revision with a comment.
3. **Payroll** gives final approval and locks the timesheet before syncing to Vantagepoint.
**If a revision is requested:** An amber **Timesheet Revision Needed** banner appears on your dashboard. Click **Fix Revision** to open the entry editor, make the requested changes (the reviewer's comment is shown), and resubmit. The timesheet re-enters the approval chain from the top.
FieldTime sends email notifications at each approval step. Check your inbox — or ask your admin to verify that notifications are enabled for your account under **Admin → Notifications**.