Review and credit scheduled volunteer time

When a volunteer is Confirmed for a shift or event in Timecounts, their scheduled time will automatically move into Track → Scheduled Time after the activity ends. From there, admins can review the hours before crediting them, unless the settings are configured to approve and credit them automatically.
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Volunteers who are waitlisted, cancelled, or in another signup state won't move into Track for crediting.

Check-in and check-out times give admins a more accurate record of the hours volunteers actually contribute. When both are available, Timecounts uses the actual time to calculate the hours to credit, rounded to the nearest 15 minutes.
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If someone forgets to check out, their time will still move into Track for review. Timecounts uses their check-in and the scheduled end time to calculate the hours, with the available times there for an admin to review and adjust if needed.
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The kiosk isn't required. Without kiosk times, confirmed volunteers will still move into Track based on their scheduled hours.
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When scheduled time appears in Track depends on whether volunteers are using the kiosk and how your approval settings are configured.
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If a volunteer checks in and out, their time can appear in Track as soon as they check out. If the kiosk isn't being used, Timecounts waits five hours after the scheduled end time before moving the time into Track. This also applies if someone checks in but forgets to check out, giving volunteers who stay later a chance to finish and check out.
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If a check-out is missing, Timecounts uses the check-in time and scheduled end time to calculate the hours. Without kiosk times, the scheduled hours are used.

If Scheduled Time is set to approve automatically and the time meets the criteria, it will bypass Track and be credited right away. The hours will appear on the volunteer's profile and in Reports without needing admin review.

Admins can adjust hours before approving them in Track, or edit them from the volunteer's profile card after they've been credited.
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By default, Scheduled Time is set to Review and confirm manually, giving admins a chance to check the hours and make any changes before they're credited.
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From Track → Details, admins can change this to Approve automatically, which credits the scheduled hours without review. Organizations using the kiosk can also choose Approve automatically if checked in/out, which credits the actual time when both a check-in and check-out are available. If either is missing, the time will still move into Track for review.
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These settings apply across the organization, so if multiple admins manage volunteer time, it's a good idea to agree on how time should be approved before making a change.

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Once a shift or event has ended, any hours that need review will appear in Track → Scheduled Time with a Pending status. Admins will also see a task on the Dashboard when there is time waiting for their attention, which they can select to go straight to the Scheduled Time view.
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Admins can review the hours for each volunteer, along with any check-in and check-out times available from the kiosk, and make adjustments if needed.

To approve volunteers individually, use the Status dropdown next to their name if the hours are correct.

Before crediting the time, admins can use the edit pencil to adjust the hours, add skills, or leave a comment for the volunteer.
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To action several at once, select them using the checkboxes and choose Approve, Decline, Cancel, or No Show from the bulk actions. If there are a lot of volunteers to update at once, it may take a moment for the page to clear.

Until the time is approved, the hours won't be included in Reports. Volunteers will see the activity under My Time in their profile with a Pending status until their hours are credited.

Once a shift or event has ended, the time can't be changed from the original activity. This helps prevent changes to a past activity from affecting volunteer signups or time that has already been recorded.
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If the volunteer's hours are still waiting to be credited, admins can edit them from Track → Scheduled Time. Use the edit pencil next to the volunteer to adjust the hours before approving them.
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If volunteer hours have already been approved or credited, admins can still edit them at any time. Open the volunteer's profile card, find the shift or event under Schedule, and use the edit pencil next to the credited hours to make a change.

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No Show is used when a volunteer was confirmed for a shift or event but didn't attend. Instead of approving their scheduled time, admins can change their status to No Show in Track. No hours are credited, but the no show stays on the volunteer's profile and as part of their history.
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The Directory can also be filtered by No Show, making it easy to see volunteers who have missed commitments. This can be useful for organizations that have a policy around repeat no shows or want to follow up when someone has missed multiple shifts or events.

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If a volunteer shows up for a scheduled shift or event without signing up in advance, admins can still credit their time through the original activity. Open the schedule or event and assign the volunteer. If the activity is already full, the number of available spots will need to be increased first.
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Once assigned, the volunteer's time will move into Track where admins can review and credit their hours as usual. There's no time limit for assigning a volunteer to a past activity, and they won't receive a signup notification once the activity has started or ended.

If the shift or event was never created in Timecounts, admins can't create it retroactively. Instead, use Log Time from the top right of Track to credit the volunteer's time directly. This will be recorded as Logged Time rather than Scheduled Time.
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If volunteers regularly show up without being scheduled, consider using walk-in positions with the kiosk. This lets volunteers check themselves in and out without admins having to assign them manually. Their time will be recorded as Walk-In Time rather than as part of the original event or schedule.
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​Learn how to set up walk-in options for your check-in kiosk →
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