How to enter your time (when time entry is enabled)

Applies to: Workers on US and Canada assignments who enter their own time. If you're an employee working outside the US and Canada (international EOR), this doesn't apply to you — you don't enter time in Ascen at all (see Employees outside the US and Canada below).

How to enter and submit your hours in the Ascen portal — and how to tell whether you enter time in Ascen at all, since on some assignments your agency or client submits time on your behalf.

On some assignments you enter your own time directly in Ascen. On others, time entry is turned off in your portal because your agency (staffing partner) or the client submits your time through their own system. This article explains how to tell which applies to you, and how to enter time when it is enabled.

This article complements How do I add time sheets? with the newer portal layout and the important point about when time entry may not appear for you.

First: do you enter time in Ascen?

Your agency or client decides where your time is recorded. There are two setups:
- You enter time in Ascen. You will see a Timesheets area in your portal with an Enter Time button. You record and submit your own hours here.
- Your staffing partner or client enters time for you. Time entry is turned off in your Ascen portal. Your hours come in from a separate system your agency or client uses (for example, a scheduling or vendor management system). You do not need to add anything in Ascen — and you will not see an Enter Time button.

How to tell which one you have: Log in at app.ascen.com and open Timesheets. If you see an Enter Time button, you enter your own time here. If there is no way to add time, your time is being submitted for you elsewhere.

Employees outside the US and Canada (international EOR): you don't enter time in Ascen at all. Time (if it's tracked for your role at all — usually it isn't) is handled by your in-country HR partner, only where your country requires it. You don't need to do anything in Ascen — your in-country HR partner will reach out to you if anything is needed. If you're unsure, ask them.

Even when you don't enter time in Ascen, you can typically still view timesheets, paystubs, and pay status in your portal once your time has been processed.

What to do if you don't see time entry

If you expected to enter your own hours but there is no Enter Time button, this usually means your time is submitted through your agency or client — not through Ascen.

Contact your agency (staffing partner) or your on-site supervisor to confirm how and where to report your hours. They can tell you which system to use and the deadline for each period.

If you believe you should be entering time in Ascen but the button is missing, it may instead be that your onboarding isn't fully complete yet — see Why can't I submit my timesheet yet?

How to enter your time in Ascen

When time entry is enabled for you:
1. Log in at app.ascen.com.
2. Open Timesheets from the menu.
3. Click Enter Time.
4. Fill in the entry:
- Date you worked.
- Start time and end time for the shift.
- Breaks — record your unpaid break time so your paid hours are calculated correctly. Depending on your work location this is either a total break minutes figure or a start and end time for each break (see Breaks below).
5. Add a separate entry for each day you worked in the period.
6. Review your hours, then Submit.

You may also see Start Working and Stop Working buttons you can use to clock in and out in real time instead of typing start and end times. This is switched on per client, so it will not appear on every assignment.

Breaks

Record your unpaid break time on each day's entry. Unpaid breaks are subtracted from your total, so recording them accurately keeps your paid hours correct. How much detail you enter depends on your work location:

• Most locations: enter your total unpaid break minutes for the day (for example, a 30- or 60-minute meal break).

• Locations with meal-/rest-break rules (for example, California): the portal requires more detail — add a break entry for each break with its start and end time, so both when the break was taken and how long it lasted are recorded. Follow the prompts your portal shows for confirming or waiving breaks.

Employees outside the US and Canada (international EOR): this section doesn't apply to you. You don't enter time — or breaks — in Ascen at all. Time is handled by your in-country HR partner only where your country requires it (usually it isn't), and your in-country HR partner will contact you if anything is needed.

Submitting for the pay period

Add an entry for every day you worked, then submit for the period. After you submit, your timesheet may go to your supervisor or client for approval before it's paid. You can check the status of each timesheet in the Timesheets area.

Be sure to submit before your period's cutoff — see When are timesheets due? Time submitted after the deadline may be paid in a later cycle.

Related articles

• How do I add time sheets?

• How do I enter sick time?

• Why can't I submit my timesheet yet?

• When are timesheets due?

• My paycheck is short or missing hours

Frequently asked questions

I don't see an Enter Time button. Is something wrong?
Not necessarily. On many assignments your agency or client submits your time through their own system, so time entry is intentionally turned off in your Ascen portal. Contact your agency or on-site supervisor to confirm where to report your hours. If you were told to enter time in Ascen and still don't see the button, your onboarding may not be complete yet — see Why can't I submit my timesheet yet?

My agency submits my time. Do I still need to do anything in Ascen?
No timesheet entry is needed on your side. You can still log in to view your timesheets, paystubs, and pay status once your hours are processed.

Do I enter my unpaid break?
Yes, on US and Canada assignments — enter your unpaid break on each day so your paid hours calculate correctly: total break minutes in most locations, or a start and end time for each break where your work location's break rules require it. If you're an employee working outside the US and Canada, you don't enter time or breaks in Ascen at all — your in-country HR partner handles it where your country requires it, and they will contact you if anything is needed.

Who approves my time after I submit it?
Depending on your assignment, your submitted timesheet may go to your supervisor or client for approval before payment. You can track the status in the Timesheets area.