Allow volunteers to log and track their own time

This feature is available on the Grow and Pro plans.
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Logged Time is useful when volunteers contribute ad hoc hours outside of scheduled shifts or events and need to submit their own time.
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For example, a volunteer might work on a project from home, help with something that wasn't scheduled in Timecounts, or contribute time over several days. Letting volunteers log these hours themselves saves admins from having to collect and enter the time on their behalf.
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Volunteers can also leave a comment when they submit their time, giving admins more context about what they worked on, what they accomplished, or anything else they'd like to share.
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Note: Logged Time is intended for time that isn't already part of a scheduled shift or event. If a volunteer is already scheduled in Timecounts, their hours will be tracked through Scheduled Time and shouldn't be logged again. Admins can control what volunteers are able to log time for in the settings.
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Volunteer time logging is turned off by default. To allow it, go to Track → Details and turn on Allow volunteers to log ad hoc time from their profile under Logged Time.
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Once enabled, the Logged Time settings will appear so you can choose what volunteers are allowed to log time for and how their submissions should be credited.

Volunteers will also see a Log Time button under My Time in their profile.
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From Track → Details, you can choose what volunteers are able to log time for. Setting this up makes it faster for volunteers to submit their hours and helps keep your data organized for reporting.

Any Activity Name lets volunteers describe what they did by entering their own activity name.
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Qualified Applications lets volunteers log time against standalone applications they've qualified for.

​Positions lets volunteers choose from your position templates. You can make all position templates available or select only the ones you want volunteers to use.

You can enable more than one option, giving volunteers the appropriate choices when they log their time.​

You can enable more than one option depending on how you want volunteers to log their time.
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From their user profile, volunteers go to My Time and select the Log Time button.

When logging their time, volunteers choose or enter the activity, select a date, and add the amount of time they contributed. They can also select skills to validate and leave an optional comment. The comment is open-ended, so they can share what they worked on, what they accomplished, feedback about their experience, or anything else they'd like the organization to know.
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Time can only be submitted for today or a date in the past, not for future dates. Each entry needs to be logged against a specific date so it can be accurately included in Reports. If a volunteer is logging hours contributed over a longer period, let them know which date you'd prefer them to use, such as the beginning or end of the month.
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Once submitted, their time will either appear in Track → Logged Time for review or be credited automatically, based on your approval settings. If it's waiting for review, the volunteer will see it under My Time with a Pending status so they know it was submitted successfully.
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When Logged Time needs review, admins will see a task on the organization's Dashboard letting them know there is volunteer time waiting to be credited.

From Track → Logged Time, admins can review what the volunteer submitted before deciding whether to credit the hours. If something needs changing, use the edit pencil to adjust the time or other details before approving it.
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To update one submission, use the Status dropdown. To update several at once, select them using the checkboxes and choose an action from the bulk actions.

Until the time is approved, the hours won't be included in Reports. Volunteers will see their submission under My Time with a Pending status until it's credited.
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By default, Logged Time is set to Review and confirm manually, giving admins a chance to review what volunteers submit before their hours are credited.

From Track → Details, admins can choose Approve automatically if they don't need to review each submission. The hours will be credited as soon as the volunteer submits them and will appear on their profile and in Reports without going to Track for review.
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This setting applies across the organization, so if multiple admins manage volunteer time, it's a good idea to agree on how Logged Time should be handled before making a change.
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Logged Time can still be changed after it's been credited. Select the volunteer's name to open their profile card, find the logged activity, and use the edit pencil next to the credited time to make a change. Any changes to the hours will also be reflected in Reports.