What to do if you can't enter or submit your timesheet

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Applies to: All workers who enter their own time — US W-2 employees, Canadian (T4) employees, and independent contractors. If your assignment is set up for your staffing partner to submit hours on your behalf, you will not see an Enter Time button at all; that is expected.

Summary: Most timesheet entry problems come down to one of five things: an incomplete onboarding step, a passed deadline, an assignment that has ended, a client requirement you have not met, or a browser issue. Work through the checks below, and if you are still stuck, Ascen can enter your hours for you so your pay is not delayed.

First, check whether you are blocked for a reason

These are the situations where the platform intentionally prevents you from entering your own time. Each has its own fix.

  • Your onboarding is not finished. This is the most common cause. For US W-2 employees, Form I-9 must be fully complete — including Section 2 — before you can enter any time, and you cannot enter time for dates before it was completed. Identity verification, signed agreements, and tax forms can also block entry. See Why can't I submit my timesheet yet?

  • The deadline has passed. Timesheets are due weekly by 11:59 PM Sunday (or 24 hours after your work week ends, if your assignment is set up that way). After the deadline you can no longer enter your own hours for that week. See When are timesheets due?

  • Your assignment is marked complete or ended. Once an assignment is closed you cannot add hours yourself, even for days you genuinely worked. See Unable to Submit Timesheet: Assignment Appears Closed or Ended.

  • Business Verification (KYB) is pending. Independent contractors with an incomplete or in-review business verification cannot enter time until it clears. See I'm being prompted for Business Verification (KYB) and can't submit my timesheet.

  • Your client requires your location. On some assignments you must allow location access and be at the worksite to record time. See Why the app asks for your location when you enter time.

  • Your staffing partner submits hours for you. If your assignment is configured that way, the Enter Time button will not appear. Send your hours to your staffing partner.

If none of those apply, try these troubleshooting steps

  1. Hard refresh your browser and clear your cache.

  2. Log out and log back in.

  3. Try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Edge) or a different device.

  4. Log in directly at app.ascen.com/login. Then go to the Timesheets tab, select your assignment, and click Enter Time for each day you need to record.

  5. If you cannot get in at all, use Forgot Password on the login page. See How to log in, reset your password, and set up two-factor authentication.

One thing that is not a bug: you can only enter hours after a shift has ended, so a shift still in progress will not accept time yet.

Getting your hours entered for you

If you are blocked for any of the reasons above, or you have tried the troubleshooting steps and still cannot submit, Ascen can enter your hours on your behalf so you are paid on time. Do not simply wait — reach out as soon as you know you are stuck.

Contact timesheets@ascen.com and include, for each day worked:

  • Date

  • Clock-in time

  • Clock-out time

  • Unpaid break start and duration, if any

  • Assignment name, if you have more than one active assignment

  • A screenshot of any error message you are seeing

Once your hours are entered they go through the normal approval process, and you will get a confirmation. Watch for the approval so it can be processed promptly — see What to do when your timesheet is stuck in "Awaiting Approval".

Who to contact

  • Ascen (timesheets@ascen.com) — you cannot enter or submit time, you missed the deadline, an onboarding step is blocking you, an error message, or a correction to a submitted timesheet.

  • Your staffing partner — getting a submitted timesheet approved, scheduling, and which assignment you should be recording time against.

Related articles

  • Why can't I submit my timesheet yet?

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

  • When are timesheets due?

  • How to Submit a Timesheet After Missing the Deadline

  • What to do when your timesheet is stuck in "Awaiting Approval"