We’re really excited to share that in the weeks ahead, we’re rolling out new functionality in the Xero Me mobile app that will let employees record their start, end and unpaid break times. This new feature will help you keep accurate payroll records and save time on manual processes such as chasing timesheets or reviewing information before doing payruns in Xero. It also helps with your record- keeping requirements as an Australian employer under the Fair Work Act 2009.
Making employee management easy
This new Xero Me feature is fast, easy to use and seamlessly connected with Xero Payroll. You’ll not only have visibility of the start, end and unpaid break times entered by employees, but you’ll also be able to easily view any employee notes added to time entries, for easy communication.
Please note: there are no changes to the approval workflow for team manager roles processing timesheets for payruns on web or mobile.
Here’s a handy infographic that you can share with your employees, to help them enter their start, end and break times in Xero Me.
You can download the infographic here.
Xero Me is included with every Xero Payroll subscription and is designed to make employee management easier for small businesses. It allows your employees to access payslips, submit and manage timesheets, leave requests and claim expenses – all in one place.
Empowering your employees to self-serve these critical people tasks means less manual work for you, while helping to support a faster pay run. We’re working on some other exciting features for Xero Me and will keep you updated. As always, we’ll continue listening to the product ideas you’d like to see in Xero.
We’re renaming My Payroll to Xero Me
In the weeks ahead, we will also be changing the name of My Payroll to Xero Me. My Payroll is the web-based version of the Xero Me app, so it makes sense to make sure they’re aligned, as we continue to enhance the functionality of our employee self-service tools and give you more time back to spend on your people.
These are exciting changes and really show how much we’re focused on supporting small businesses in Australia. But really, it’s just the beginning. As always, we look forward to hearing what you think about the new functionality in Xero Me, and hope you and your employees love it as much as we do.
When will this come into effect?
Hi Nala, we have start to roll this functionality out in phases in Australia. It will first roll out to payroll admins, then to employees the following week. We will announce as and when this functionality becomes available in other regions so watch this space.
A SECTION FOR EMPLOYEES TO ADD NOTES WOULD BE AMAZING ALSO. GPS TRACKING FROM THEIR DEVICE WOULD BE ELITE…. OH THE POSSIBILITIES – THIS IS A GREAT STEP FORWARD.
Hi David, thanks so much for your suggestions. We love hearing ideas on how we can improve Xero – and you’re more than welcome to share your ideas here. Thanks again!
This is great! Be amazing if we could also update the department in timesheets. We are currently able to select which pay item we want to choose (IE earnings rate) but these are often different for each department so although they can select 2 different earning rates I still need to journal one to the other department (using tracking). I am looking at Add ons so that we can automate this currently.
But great to see this is coming. I can start getting the truck drivers to enter their own timesheets instead of supplying me the paper timesheets and then entering. Woohoo!! Hurry! 🙂
Hi what is the start date for this functionality and will it be available in NZ?
It sound fabulous
Many thanks
Stephanie
Hi Stephanie, this functionality is currently being rolled out in Australia. However, we will announce as and when it becomes available in other regions so please watch this space. Thanks!
It’s great to see this improvement. What would also be great to see is a more streamlined way for managers to approve timesheets (rather than “tap on timesheet – approve timesheet – tap to return to list of timesheets – tap next timesheet”)
Hi Scott – thanks so much for your suggestion, which has been shared with our team. You can also share product ideas with us here. Thanks!
Really happy to see this become available.
Me too. The time I spend on our timesheets is ridiculous
Does this mean it will calculate the standard work hours, overtime and weekend rates automatically, or do staff need to select different pay rates still ?
Hi Nigel, this functionality simply enables employees to record their start, end, and an unpaid break time. These times will then be used to automatically calculate the hours worked per day and assign the employees default ordinary hours earnings rate. Employees cannot select different pay rates. If different earnings rates are required, payroll admins will need to add multiple timesheet lines when approving the timesheet. This new functionality is better suited towards businesses with more simple time-tracking needs. We hope that answers your question. If you require further help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our support team here.
I like this option – a lot! Will it work in projects too, to capture start/end times on different clients’ projects, in the app? Is it only a timesheets thing via the app?
Hi Gillian, we’re so pleased to hear that you like this option. This release is only for time sheeting in the Xero Me app and does not connect the start and end timesheet with Xero Projects.
Hi,
I think the idea of the timesheets is fantastic, however, it would be great to have a clock in and off option, instead of the timesheet. This way employers can track their staff that aren’t depot based like you can in Deputy.
If this was set up, we would certainly make the switch
Hi Renee, thanks so much for your suggestion. Would you mind sharing it here?
I agree with Renee, a clock on and clock off option would be amazing – we also currently use deputy. My question was also going to be will it calculate the overtime hours??
the update to My Payroll would be better if you had a function for rostering.
I agree, great to see these changes but if we can have a rostering facility it would stream line it better.
Hi Amanda, thanks for your suggestion. Your comment has been shared with our teams. You can also share your ideas here: https://productideas.xero.com/. Thanks!
This is brilliant news-a very important detail that Xero has been missing!!
We don’t use timesheets as all our staff are salaried and work remote. This should be an opt in feature by the Employer and not a forced change to those that don’t want or need it.
I agree
All my guys start and finish in the office
As I have under 5 employees I do not see the benefit in this and do not want it!
Hi Guys
I use the projects add-on with Xero
I actually need the employee’s time to go into the Projects side first is this possible, I’m trying to find something that does this
What I do now is manually add into projects & then I go to add a timesheet and press the button to add from projects
Hi Sandra, it’ll be great to chat to you in more details about this – are you able to raise a case with our support team so we can understand your needs. Thanks so much!
Hi ,
I have the same request as Sandra…. we still have timesheets (xls) and project-related times, so far I have to add all times, leave, etc. / projects into XERO and Projects. Would be fantastic, if XERO ME would include a drop-down for Projects/ all leave types which would feed in. Also into Invoicing with manually added hourly rates..
Thanks 🙂
Thanks for your feedback, Eva.
Xero – I’d also appreciate the same functionality as Sandra and Eva are requesting… we have staff entering their hours into Projects… and then I transfer them over to timesheets, one timesheet at a time, double-checking the data has transferred across accurately into timesheets, then manually changing the times in the timesheet to pick up overtime (where relevant), then I have to check the individual payslips to ensure that the hours are accurately reflected there: viz. normal hours, overtime hours, public holidays, annual or sick leave hours…
Any improvement on this process would be brilliant…
Hi Gillian, thanks so much for your comment – your request has been shared with our team.
Love this. Hopefully, we can enter Rosters too.
When will this be released? It still looks the same in my employees app.
Hi Kristine, we have started to roll it out in phases in Australis starting from 18 July. It will first be rolled out to payroll admins, then to employees the following week. We will announce this functionality in other regions as and when it becomes available. Thanks for your comment.
Function still required: Employers should be able to edit/delete approved timesheets, rather than only being able to revert timesheet to draft only to have it disappear, then ask the employee to edit/delete the timesheet from their end.
Hi Sharon, thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us.
Agreed. Without this function it’s just clunky and basically useless
I agree with Sharon.
How can we set auto reminders for staff who have not completed their timesheet?
Hi Sharon, can you please raise a ticket with our support team so we can give you a hand? Thanks!
would be great if you align penalty rates with the timesheets.
Hi Kellyann, thanks so much for your suggestion.
Will this mean all staff need to be a basic user (at a cost) to access this ?
Hi Deneka, any staff who wish to access this will need to be a payroll employee.
it would be great if the employer could see the entered times in the timesheets on a daily bases before the employee submits it for approval .
Will our staff need to update the app Xero Me or will you update it from your end.
Hi Gail, thanks for your comment. The Xero Me mobile app will be automatically updated. Your staff will do not need to do anything.
Is there any way to include contractors on Xero Me, to be able to time in and off?
I’m based in Australia.
Thank you!
Hi Bruna, you’ll be best to have a chat with one of our experts who can provide more detail information about the functionality. Please contact them here. Thanks!
Is it only possible to view the time sheets once submitted for approval? Is it possible to monitor them throughout a week?
Hi Dean, we recommend you having a chat with one of our experts, who’ll be able to answer your questions about the functionality in more detail. Thanks!
Cant wait to see if this new function will actually allows us to drop the likes of deputy just for the clock on and clock off function for our staff. Very excited for this change – it’s about time! This will allow us to utilise the timesheet function for more than just the basics.
FANATSTIC NEWS!!!!!
It would be beneficial if timesheets could be linked to projects. At the moment you can generate a daily time card in projects and import that time into a timesheet, however you then loose the ability to track the staff labour costs against a project.
Hi Andrew – thanks so much for your feedback and suggestion, which has been shared with our product team.
Hi Will it also have the option to allocate to job numbers?
Thanks
Hi Jenni, please get in touch with our product experts. Thanks!
This is great news! We were on the look out for a different timesheet app that does just this, so now we won’t need to change!
can employee upload their medical certificate and their employment declaration form from MyGov on the app?
Hi Ying, would you mind raising a ticket with our support team so that we can provide detailed answers to your specific questions about the functionality? Thanks!
A text field for employee to add the job description or name would be very helpful so the employer can keep track of their jobs and times to charge out
This will be a good add on, definitely needs to be GEO Tagged where staff login and log out so we can track where they were.
An option to put notes in if required EG: Rained out and Finished Early (For payroll staff to view)
A rostering function would make for a more efficient and streamlined complete payroll system – this function would be awesome.
Would be great if you could develop Xero so that it can report on
Locations
Departments
Example
At the moment Xero will only allow one “employee Group” to be entered
If the employee works in many Groups a spreadsheet is required.
Thanks so much for your feedback, Nicole, which has been shared with our product team.
Is this being rolled out to all Xero payroll users? We don’t use the timesheet feature of Xero as we only have 4 employees all working in the same premises and would find this a burden on admin rather than an asset to our administration.
Hi Robyn, the functionality is being rolled out in Australia first to payroll admins, then to employees shortly afterwards. Thanks!
Is this a mandatory feature or an opt in?
Hi Sam, it is not mandatory to use the functionality in Xero Me – you can use another app to record start and end times, if you’d prefer – however, this new Xero Me feature is fast, easy to use and seamlessly connected with Xero Payroll. If you’re located in Australia, it is a legislative requirement to record start and end times, not just the total number of hours worked.
This is great news!! We would also love if the Xero Me app and projects were more connected. If employees could fill out their timesheets at the same time as allocating their time to a task in projects.
Hi Emma – thanks so much for your comment and your suggestion, which has been shared with our team.
I agree, would be great if we could align penalty rates. The new function of adding notes to a timesheet is great. Would be good if images could be attached to a timesheet as well. We are currently paying for another service just so our employees can complete timesheets with notes and an image. Such doubling up of time. Would be good to be able to do this all in one platform.
To avoid false entries – we use tsheets with gps requirement for time entry – will this new function have a safegaurd for timetheft etc?
Hi Jamie, we recommend you having a chat with one of our experts by raising a case here, who’ll be able to answer any questions and concerns that you may have. Thanks!
I currently use Deputy which integrates to Xero. Does this mean I won’t need deputy? Can you produce rosters as well?
Hi Kimdelia – thanks for your question. The new functionality in the Xero Me app allows employees to record their start and end times, as well as an unpaid break or lunch break. Employees also have the ability to add notes to time entries for easy communication. The new functionality does not currently offer rostering so Deputy is still useful for this. You comment has been shared with our Product Team.
Will there be options to accumulate and track time to RDO’s and Time in lieu.?
Need accurate login in locations.
Currently use these options with keypay.
Hi Steve, can you please submit your request via Xero Product Ideas providing as much detail as you can in regards to your requirements so that we can take a look into it. Thanks!
Just tried to test the functionality and we can’t find the ‘settings’ link that enables us to swap to ‘Start & End times’. Is it live yet? We’re in Sydney Australia and doing some testing before we roll it out to or staff. Thanks
Hi Cat, sorry to hear that you are experiencing some problems – can you please raise a ticket with our support team so we can investigate and give you a hand. Thanks!
If there could be a rostering option alongside this – fantastic – I pay a LOT to a rostering app which is the best of a bad lot for our industry. I would love to be able to switch everything to Xero – our app is supposed to “talk” to Xero but it’s never worked despite hours of conversations with their team. A one stop shop would be worth a lot to us.
Hi Kim, thanks for your comment and your request to include a rostering option. Your suggestion has been shared with our product teams who are working on this functionality.
HI,Great outcome thanks.
I have multiple locations, when will a functionality be avalable to choose location? Deputy has this plus the geo-locator already.
thanks
Hi Troy – thanks so much for your comment, which has been passed on to our product team.
I agree with comments from Nick – July 18th and Ken July 21st – to which I notice Xero have not replied to…..
We are only a small business and would prefer to be able to opt out of this function. Will employers be able to ‘turn the function off’?
Hi Kim, this feature is available for everyone to use within timesheets – however, it’s up to you whether you choose to. Thanks!
Just to clarify as I can’t see a clear answer above, even if we don’t use the timesheets function in Xero our employees will receive notification that this update is available for them to use? If there a way to turn this off as it will just add another element of confusion for our workers.
Hi Tracy – thanks for your comment. This feature is only available within timesheets in Xero so if you don’t access the timesheet function then you shouldn’t see notifications. However, your comment has been shared with our product team to make sure that is the case. If you do receive notifications for this functionality and have any trouble switching them off, please raise a ticket with our support team so we can give you a hand. Thanks!
Hi – This is a great step forward although it would be much easier to add a break time without having to go through all the steps each time. This seems to be the same as Workflow which is very time consuming for staff. The WorkZone app has a much better feature “Break Start/Break End and you just enter the time you started your break and the time you ended. You can also write notes. We need to allocate times to each job, so there really needs to be a function to be able to connect it to the tasks in Xero Projects or at least be able to type in which job they attended.
We presently use Deputy for scheduling and timesheets. We tried allowing employees to sign on & off from their personal mobile device but have reverted to a single on-site tablet for clocking on & off. So unless Xero offer this option Payroll Me won’t be functional for us. If you do offer this feature we’ll still need a tool for sharing schedule visibility for multiple weeks in advance across our teams
This would be awesome if it had GPS tracking, as this would mean we would not need to use a separate time tracking app which will save processing time in our admin and save the company heaps, this is a great start but follow up with GPS ASAP
Hi, thanks so much for your suggestion to add GPS tracking to the functionality – your comment has been shared with our product team.
Hi – will this flow through to Xero reporting? It would be great to get a report, weekly, to see start/finish times/total hours across the employee base in one place.
Hi Beverly – thanks so much for your comment, which has been shared with our product team working on this functionality.
Hello,
I am not sure what we are doing incorrectly but we are following your “infografic” and cannot find a clock at step 4???
can you please help
jason
Hi Jason, sorry to hear that you’re having some trouble here. Can you please raise a ticket with our support team so we can take a closer look into this for you and give you a hand? Thanks so much!
Hi Xero Team,
Will there be options coming in the app for casuals who do split shifts and weekend rates?
Currently it seems that staff have to log a ‘break’ instead of being able to list a second shift, and all rates seem to go in the Weekday rates, regardless of the day it’s lodged meaning that Admin need to take the extra time to go in and alter timesheets.
Hi Liz – thanks so much for your comment, which has been passed on to our product team working on this functionality.