Overtime Approval Workflows: From Request to Paid Hours

Unapproved overtime is a quiet drain on payroll budgets. If any extra hours an employee logs automatically turn into pay, costs can climb without anyone deciding they should. The fix is a workflow that puts authorisation before payment.

Approval workflows ensure that overtime is intentional, not incidental.

Building the approval path

A sound overtime workflow captures the request, routes it to the right approver, and only counts authorised hours toward pay. Hours worked without approval are visible but not automatically paid, which keeps the decision with management.

• Capture overtime requests with hours and reason.
• Route to the appropriate manager for approval.
• Pay only the hours that were authorised.
• Keep a record of who approved what and when.

Control without friction

The aim is control, not bureaucracy. A good workflow is quick for managers to action and gives them visibility into overtime trends so they can manage cost proactively. When approval connects to payroll, approved overtime flows straight to the payslip with no double entry.

Zaffre HRM, part of Zaffre Axon, routes overtime through approval and pays only authorised hours, with the full approval trail retained for audit, so overtime cost stays controlled and accountable.

Take control of overtime spend. Book a demo to see the workflow.