What is Odoo Timesheet? Features and Tips for Australian Teams' Adoption

Odoo Timesheets is Odoo’s native time-tracking application, designed to connect time entries with billing, HR, and project workflows in real time. Unlike standalone trackers, it enables Australian teams to manage timesheets in full compliance with Fair Work audit requirements, GST invoicing rules, and award-based payroll structures.

With native support for Employment Hero and custom integration options for Xero, Odoo connects timesheets with Projects, Sales, and Invoicing — delivering clear resource costing and wage transparency across Australian operations. This guide explores key features, proven adoption tips for Aussie teams, quick setup instructions, and how to turn time tracking into a strategic business enabler.

What are the Key Features of Odoo Timesheets?

Odoo Timesheets provides a fully integrated time tracking suite, enabling Australian businesses to log, validate, analyse, and invoice work hours. See the following video for an overview of Odoo Timesheets:

Below is a breakdown of its core capabilities by functional group:

1. Time Tracking

Odoo lets users track time in real time or enter it manually. The following image shows the Odoo Timesheets dashboard in grid view:

• Timer-based tracking allows users to start and stop time from their dashboard, specific tasks, or interventions — ideal for service-based work.
• Manual entries can be submitted at any point, with pre-defined encoding in hours, minutes, days, or half-days.
• Keyboard shortcuts streamline switching between tasks for desktop users handling multiple entries daily.
• Administrators can define rounding rules (e.g., 15-minute increments) and minimum durations, which are particularly relevant for Australian award compliance and time-cost control.

This flexible approach ensures coverage for both active and passive workflows — from consultants billing clients to technicians logging hours after their shift.

2. Task and Project Management

Each time, the entry links directly to a project task. Instead of copy-pasting, users simply select the task from a dropdown, reducing human error and saving time. See the action details in the screenshot below:

• Users select tasks from a dropdown menu, removing the need to copy-paste or manually input categories.
• Allocated hours are visually presented in a colour-coded grid, making it easy to spot overbooking or underutilisation.
• Overtime and missing hours are displayed automatically in black or red within the grid, allowing managers to identify exceptions immediately.

This structure supports better project costing and effort visibility, key for organisations that bill by the hour or want to control resource margins in professional services or field-based industries.

3. Mobile and Remote Access

The mobile app brings full timesheet functionality to remote and field teams. The following screenshot shows how a user can manually log time, choose projects/tasks in Odoo Timesheets:

• Employees can log time on the go, either in real time or retrospectively.
• The mobile app supports structured task selection and timer controls in the same way as the desktop version.
• This is especially useful for hybrid teams, FIFO staff, or technicians who aren’t sitting in front of a laptop.

Real-time mobile tracking supports accountability and payroll accuracy while improving operational coverage in businesses with decentralised operations.

4. Employee & Team Management

Managers get full control over who logs what and when. They can choose specific timesheets to validate, as described in the following image:

• Managers can view time-off calendars directly within the timesheet interface to plan around leave or public holidays.
• Approval workflows enable designated reviewers to approve timesheets in bulk or line by line.
• Lock dates can be configured to prevent backdated entries — a crucial feature for compliance with Fair Work Australia’s recordkeeping requirements.
• Visibility levels can be adjusted to restrict which users can view others’ timesheets, helping manage privacy in larger organisations.
• Weekly or monthly email reminders can be automated to reduce the risk of late submissions.

These features support standardisation across teams while helping ensure the integrity of data that feeds into billing, payroll, and compliance processes.

5. Views for All Roles

Odoo offers five ways to view timesheets for every role. The Timesheets Kanban view is shown in the image below:

• Grid View shows a weekly layout with task-level entries and visual indicators.
• List View enables mass-editing and approvals for HR or payroll teams.
• Kanban View provides a card-style workflow ideal for project teams reviewing task-level data.
• Pivot View allows users to filter, group, and export time data in Excel-compatible formats.
• Graph View builds visual reports (bar, pie, line) that can be customised with one click.

This multi-view structure ensures flexibility and relevance — from high-level reporting to day-to-day time entry review — with access governed by user roles.

6. Reporting & Analysis

Built-in reports help teams analyse effort and spot gaps. This screenshot shows non-billable time and time spent filters in the Odoo Timesheets report:

• Users can generate timesheet statistics filtered by task, employee, team, or billing type.
• Planning analysis compares scheduled hours against actuals, enabling better forecasting and capacity planning.
• Attendance analysis cross-checks timesheet entries against clock-in/clock-out data, helping identify time leakage or inconsistency.

For decision-makers, these reports help clarify whether project delays are time-related and whether staff utilisation aligns with budget expectations. Reporting insights are essential for professional services firms and operational teams managing shift-based performance.

7. Integration with Odoo-Native Apps

Timesheets sync with Sales, Projects, HR, and Invoicing in Odoo. See the converted tracked hours in a sales order in this image:

• Odoo Sales: Automatically convert tracked hours into sales orders or invoices.
• Odoo Projects: Log hours directly to project tasks and monitor planned vs actual effort.
• Odoo HR & Planning: Sync with employee profiles, leave calendars, and work schedules.
• Odoo Invoicing: Apply custom rules to generate invoices based on either all recorded hours or only validated ones.

These integrations eliminate data duplication, support audit trails, and ensure billing is aligned with actual work delivered.

8. Billing and Integration Capabilities for Australia

For Australian businesses, Odoo connects with key local platforms to stay ATO-compliant.

• Xero integration, while not native, can be configured through custom development to push validated timesheets into GST-compliant invoicing workflows. At Havi, we offer to bridge Odoo with Xero's accounting features.
• Odoo integrates with Employment Hero (KeyPay) to automatically convert approved timesheets into award-interpreted payroll, ensuring compliance with Australian Modern Awards, penalty rates, and leave entitlements (KeyPay).
• Odoo allows for custom invoicing — you can choose whether to bill for all time entries or only approved ones, and assign time to specific sales order lines based on project, technician, or date.
• For industries governed by enterprise agreements or shift differentials (e.g., construction, healthcare), Odoo's rounding and custom billing logic can be tailored accordingly.

These capabilities ensure that local operations remain compliant, auditable, and aligned with business logic, reducing both risk and manual effort.

Odoo Timesheet’s features only deliver value if used consistently. In the next section, we explore how to drive adoption across teams and build reliable habits that support your operational and compliance goals.

How Can Australian Teams Improve Timesheet Adoption and Accuracy with Odoo?

Adoption and accuracy improve when timesheet workflows are simple, consistent, and aligned with payroll, billing, and compliance. The following strategies focus on enabling reliable, compliant timesheet behaviour using Odoo's native features, contextualised specifically for Australian teams operating under local awards, casual contracts, and hybrid environments.

1. Make It Easy: Use the Mobile App and One-Click Timer

Fast, accessible time entry is the foundation of consistent logging. In Odoo, users can start and stop the timer directly from their mobile app or within a task on the web interface. The mobile experience replicates the same dropdown selection of project and task, essential for field workers, consultants, or hybrid staff logging time across job sites, client meetings, or remote workdays.

Odoo feature in focus:

• Timer access from mobile and web
• Manual input fallback
• Keyboard shortcuts for frequent task switching

Practical AU example:

A landscaping services company operating in regional Victoria enables its on-site crews to log time directly from mobile devices after each job. Office staff use shortcuts on the desktop to log in project admins.

Impact:

Removes barriers to real-time logging, reducing the risk of end-of-week estimations that compromise payroll and billing accuracy, particularly for jobs billed to clients or tracked under different pay scales.

2. Use Email Reminders and Lock Deadlines

Odoo automates reminders and sets clear-cut-off rules to protect data accuracy. In addition, the system supports lock dates that prevent users from editing past periods once validated, which is essential for preserving data accuracy in compliance workflows.

Odoo feature in focus:

• Configurable email reminders
• Lock dates the validation cycles
• One-click approval for managers

Practical AU example:

A tech consultancy in Brisbane sets a fortnightly reminder aligned with its payroll cycle. All timesheets are locked 48 hours before processing to ensure clean data flows into Employment Hero for award-based pay calculations.

Impact:

Drives timely submissions, protects data integrity, and aligns with ATO and Fair Work requirements for timekeeping and payroll traceability.

3. Show the 'Why': Link Timesheets to Payroll or Bonuses

When employees see the direct link between time entries and outcomes, accuracy increases. In Odoo, validated timesheets feed into invoicing, billing targets, and even payroll through integrations. This makes time tracking more than an admin task — it becomes a transparent trigger for accurate pay, leave accruals, and performance reviews.

Odoo feature in focus:

• Timesheet-to-invoice flow
• Employee billing targets (leaderboard)
• Visibility rules for access to performance dashboards

Practical AU example:

An engineering firm in Sydney introduces monthly timesheet dashboards where consultants see how their billable hours compare to team targets. Bonuses are calculated based on validated hours billed to clients.

Impact:

Establishes time entry as a revenue lever, not just a compliance tool. Reinforces accountability and improves billing reliability across the project lifecycle.

4. Train Managers to Monitor & Validate Weekly

Regular validation from team leads keeps records timely and trustworthy. In Odoo, team leads can supervise entries by project or user, use filters to spot inconsistencies, and validate time in bulk. Weekly validations create a rhythm that aligns with Australian operational cycles — from weekly payroll to contractor reviews.

Odoo feature in focus:

• Activity supervision dashboard
• Filters for task, user, or project
• Grid and List views for validation

Practical AU example:

A construction firm with sites across Queensland trains site supervisors to validate or approve time entries every Friday. They review logged hours against planned work using the Grid view, then validate all records in one click.

Impact:

Establishes local responsibility, minimises backlog, and ensures validated data is ready for payroll export to tools like KeyPay or Xero.

5. Use Dashboards or Gamification to Encourage Engagement (Optional)

Dashboards and leaderboards reinforce daily timesheet habits. Odoo offers a billing leaderboard that tracks employees’ billable hours and displays motivational tips.

Odoo feature in focus:

• Billing rate leaderboard
• Employee billing targets
• Custom motivational messages (tips)

Practical AU example:

A digital agency in Melbourne uses the leaderboard to celebrate top contributors at weekly standups. Motivational quotes are rotated daily to drive friendly competition.

Impact:

• Improves team-wide adoption, reinforces transparency, and encourages employees to complete timesheets proactively — before management intervention is required.
• Once your team is actively using Odoo Timesheets, it’s crucial to make sure your system is configured correctly to support compliance, billing, and workflow visibility.
• Consistent usage is only half the equation — your system must also be configured for compliance, billing, and workflow visibility. In the next section, we’ll show how to set up Odoo Timesheets for success.

How to Set Up Odoo Timesheets?

Step 1: Access the Timesheets App

Launch the Timesheets module from the dashboard. Use the navigation bar to switch between weekly and monthly views. Each day displays task-based time already logged or pending input.

Step 2: Log Your Time

Start the timer or enter hours manually via:

• The Start button in the dashboard or task view
• Typing durations (e.g., “0.5h”)
• Keyboard shortcuts (e.g., “F” for fast logging)

Entries can also be logged from task views. The 15-minute default minimum duration can be adjusted to match Australian Modern Award rounding rules.

Step 3: Monitor Progress

Use colour-coded entries to track:

• Green: Target met
• Red: Hours missing
• Black: Overtime

Daily and weekly totals appear at the bottom of the grid, helping managers and staff stay on track.

Step 4: Validate Timesheets as a Manager

Managers access the “To Validate” tab to:

• Review and bulk approve entries
• Adjust recorded hours
• Finalise validations in one click

Validation rights are managed under the Approver field in each employee’s profile.

Step 5: Use List View for Bulk Actions

List View enables team leads or payroll admins to validate or delete multiple entries by selecting relevant lines and applying bulk actions via the dropdown menu.

Step 6: Configure Settings for Rounding, Reminders & More (Optional)

Customise your Timesheets setup via Configuration → Settings:

• Choose a time encoding format
• Set rounding rules (e.g., round up to 15 minutes)
• Enable email reminders
• Activate billing rate tracking and leaderboards

Managers can also assign billable hour targets. For full setup instructions, refer to Odoo’s official documentation.

What to Know about Odoo Timesheets for Australia?

1. Which Odoo modules work best with Timesheets for service-based businesses?

Odoo Timesheets works best with Projects, Sales, Invoicing, and HR — enabling seamless task tracking, billing, planning, and payroll for services and construction. If you're comparing modules for operational needs, refer to our Odoo features & localisation breakdown.

2. How does Odoo Timesheets compare to third-party time tracking tools in Australia?

Odoo provides deeper integration with finance and ERP workflows. While third-party tools offer simpler mobile UIs, Odoo ensures stronger traceability, billing accuracy, and compliance from a single system.

3. What is the difference between validated and non-validated timesheet entries?

Validated entries are final and feed billing/payroll. Unvalidated ones remain editable and excluded from reports, increasing compliance risk.

4. Can I track time for multiple projects at once in Odoo?

Yes. Switch between tasks via dropdowns or shortcuts. Use grid or pivot views to analyse time by project for full visibility. We walk through features and real use cases in our Odoo project guide for Australia.

Odoo Timesheets, integrated with payroll and invoicing, gives Australian teams clarity and control by turning time tracking into a revenue-aligned, audit-ready process. Book a tailored demo with Havi to see how we localise Odoo Timesheets for real-world use across Australia.

References:

• Odoo Slide. Timesheets configuration and Leaderboard
• Odoo (2025). Timesheets Basics | Odoo Project & Timesheets
• KeyPay. Integrate with Odoo
• Odoo docs. Employment Hero Payroll. Payroll Localisation - Australia.