What a good sign-off record shows

1. Who approved, from their own signed-in work account, not a typed name.
2. When, from the system's clock, not a date they typed.
3. What they approved: the exact numbers, so a later change shows up.
4. The decision: approved, or sent back with a comment.

Build the approval form

In Microsoft Forms or Google Forms, make a form with four questions:

1. Timesheet ID (short text), for example PARKS-2026-11-09.
2. Check code (short text; WeekClose calls it the Fingerprint): a short code that stands for the timesheet's numbers (see below).
3. Decision (choice): Approve, Send back.
4. Comment (long text, optional).

Then limit who can respond to people in your organization, signed in, so each response carries the responder's account: in Microsoft Forms, allow only people in your organization and record names; in Google Forms, collect verified email addresses. Link the responses to a spreadsheet. Each response gets a completion time from the form itself.

Pre-filled links. Form tools can make a link that fills in answers ahead of time. Put the Timesheet ID and check code in the link, so the supervisor only taps Approve and Submit. If your form tool can't, the supervisor types the ID shown on the timesheet.

The check code

If a punch is edited after the supervisor approved, you want to know. A simple check code is the week's total hours and total overtime for the department joined together, for example 412.5-18. Put it on the timesheet and in the approval link. A different code later means the timesheet changed after approval.

The weekly routine

1. Monday: make one timesheet per department for last week: employee, daily hours, regular, overtime, leave, any missed punches.
2. Email each supervisor their department's timesheet with the approval link.
3. Wednesday: check the responses sheet. Anything without an Approve is still waiting: remind that supervisor.
4. Before payroll runs: every department approved, and the check codes still match.

Common mistakes

• Approval by reply email only. Hard to find later and not tied to the numbers.
• A form anyone with the link can answer. Anyone could approve. Require sign-in.
• Approving a timesheet that still has missed punches. Fix punches first, then send.

WeekClose does steps 1 to 3 for you

WeekClose Pro makes one printable timesheet per department from your punches, puts a check code on each, shows you exactly which supervisor gets which timesheet, and sends nothing until you press Send. In Google Sheets the emails go from your own Google account; in Excel, from your own Outlook through a Power Automate flow you set up once. It then reads your approval form's responses and writes an Approvals tab: Approved, Waiting, Sent back, Approved by someone else, or Changed after approval. Your data and the approvals stay in your own account.

Not legal or payroll advice. Your agency's records-retention schedule decides how long to keep approvals.