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Manual Entry is the time-tracking method for exempt (salaried) employees. Rather than punching a real-time clock, you record the hours you worked on each project and date directly. Clock-in and clock-out times are optional — if you provide them, FieldTime calculates your hours automatically after subtracting meal breaks. If you prefer, you can enter a round-hour total without any clock times at all.
Non-exempt (hourly) employees use the Punch Clock instead. If your profile is marked EXEMPT, the Punch Clock button is replaced by the Manual Entry form automatically.

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Exempt vs. non-exempt entry

EXEMPTNON_EXEMPT
Entry methodManual (direct hour input or optional clock times)Punch Clock (real-time clock in/out)
Clock times requiredNo — hours can be entered without timesYes — start and end times are always recorded
Hours fieldEnter hours directly, or auto-calculated from clock timesCalculated automatically from clock-in/clock-out
Meal breaksOptional — enter start/end times if applicableRequired to be recorded via Start/End Meal Break
Prevailing wageApplies when the selected classification is prevailing wageApplies when the selected classification is prevailing wage

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Creating a time entry

1

Open the Time Entry page

Navigate to Time Tracking → Time Entry in the sidebar. You will see the Create Time Entry form at the top of the page, followed by the week’s entries table below.
2

Select a project

Choose your project from the Project dropdown. Projects are organized by type:
  • Direct Projects — billable client work
  • Indirect Projects — overhead or non-billable; shown with an “Indirect” label
  • Administrative Projects — internal company tasks
If a project has no phases configured, you will see a warning to contact your administrator before logging time.
3

Select phase and task

If the project has phases, choose the matching Phase. If the selected phase has tasks, choose the matching Task. Both fields are required when available for new entries.
4

Enter the date and optional clock times

Set the Start Date. Optionally enter a Start Time and End Time (in 24-hour HH:MM format). When both times are provided:
  • Hours are calculated automatically from the difference between clock-in and clock-out, minus any meal breaks you enter.
  • The calculated hours field turns indigo and becomes read-only.
  • For overnight shifts, set the End Date to the following day. FieldTime displays an “Overnight shift” indicator.
If you leave the time fields blank, type your hours directly in the Hours Worked field.
5

Select a labor classification

Choose your Labor Classification. Available classifications depend on the project. If the classification is prevailing wage, a note will indicate that California DIR overtime rules apply.
6

Record meal breaks (if applicable)

By default, the form assumes a standard meal break. To indicate that no meal break was taken, check No meal break. Otherwise:
  • Enter Meal 1 Start date and time.
  • Enter Meal 1 End date and time.
  • If your shift exceeded 10 hours, check Add second meal break and enter the Meal 2 times.
Meal break duration is subtracted automatically from the calculated hours total when clock times are provided.
7

Add notes (optional)

Enter any relevant notes in the Notes field (up to 2,000 characters). Notes appear on your timesheet entry detail and are visible to approvers.
8

Save the entry

Select Create Entry. The entry appears immediately in the Week Entries table below the form, grouped by date. The week total and per-day totals update automatically.
To enter time for multiple days in the same week, keep the form open and change the Start Date field after each save. FieldTime resets the form for a new entry while preserving the week view below — you can quickly build up a full week of entries row by row without navigating away.

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Editing an entry

Select Edit next to any entry in the week table to load it back into the form. The form header changes to Edit Time Entry. Make your changes and select Update Entry. Select Cancel to discard changes and return to the create-new state.
You cannot edit an entry whose timesheet has already been submitted for approval. If you need to correct a submitted entry, request a timesheet revision from the Timesheets page.

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Deleting an entry

Select Delete next to any entry and confirm the prompt. Deletion is only available while the timesheet is in Draft, Revision Requested, or Rejected status.

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Transferring entries to your timesheet

Once you have entered all your time for the week, select Transfer Entries to Timesheet at the bottom of the page. FieldTime consolidates all entries for the week into a timesheet and takes you to the Timesheets page for review and submission.
The transfer button is disabled while you have an entry open in the Edit form. Finish or cancel your edit before transferring.
If you are revising a previously submitted timesheet, the button label changes to Update Timesheet Revision and updates the existing timesheet record in place.

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Understanding the week totals

The Week Entries table shows a summary row at the bottom with per-day totals and the week grand total. Days where you have logged more than 8 hours are highlighted amber as a visual cue — this is especially relevant for prevailing-wage classifications where daily overtime thresholds apply.