Bulk Import Overtime Requests

Overview

The Bulk Import Overtime Requests feature allows HR admins and managers to upload overtime entries for multiple employees using a single Excel file.

This is especially useful for manufacturing, logistics, pharmaceutical, and blue-collar organisations where overtime is typically collected offline through paper records or supervisor-maintained spreadsheets.

Instead of creating overtime requests one employee at a time, users can upload all overtime entries in bulk and submit them through the existing approval workflow.

Who Can Access This Feature?

The feature is available to users with the following permission:

Apply for overtime (OT) on behalf of employees

Users without this permission will not see the Import Overtime Requests option.

Approval Permissions

The overtime approval list is controlled separately through:

Approve/Reject overtime (OT) requests

A user can have:

• Import permission only
• Approval permission only
• Both permissions

If a user only has import permission, they can upload overtime requests but cannot access the approval queue.

Navigate to Bulk Import Overtime

1. Go to Approvals.
2. Open Overtime.
3. Click Import Overtime Requests.

[Insert Screenshot: Overtime Approval Screen]

Download the Import Template

Click Download Template to download the overtime import file.

The template contains the following columns:

Fill the Overtime Template

Day-Wise Overtime

Use the same start and end date when recording overtime for a specific day.

Example:

Date-Range Overtime

Use different start and end dates when entering cumulative overtime for a period.

Example:

In this case, the entered overtime hours represent the total overtime worked during the selected period.

Upload the File

1. Click Upload File.
2. Select the completed template.
3. Submit the file for validation.

[Insert Screenshot: Upload Overtime File]

Validation and Processing

Each row is validated independently.

Valid Rows

Valid rows:

• Are imported successfully
• Create overtime requests
• Are submitted in Pending Approval status

Warning Rows

Some validations may generate warnings.

Examples:

• No attendance records found
• Soft overtime threshold exceeded

The overtime request is created, but the warning is displayed for review.

Failed Rows

Rows with blocking errors are rejected.

Examples:

• Invalid employee number
• Invalid date format
• Missing mandatory information
• Attendance conflicts
• Duplicate overtime submission

Failed rows are listed in an error file for correction.

Download and Correct Errors

If some rows fail:

1. Download the generated error file.
2. Review the error message for each failed row.
3. Correct the data.
4. Re-upload the corrected file.

Only failed rows are reprocessed.

Previously imported records are not duplicated.

[Insert Screenshot: Import Error Report]

Import Summary

After processing, the system displays a summary showing:

• Total records processed
• Successfully imported records
• Warning records
• Failed records

[Insert Screenshot: Import Summary]

Approval Workflow

Successfully imported records are automatically created as overtime requests.

These requests:

• Appear in Approvals > Overtime
• Follow the existing approval process
• Require approval before overtime is considered for payroll processing

No approval workflow changes are introduced as part of this feature.

Validation Considerations

The system performs validations across several categories.

File Structure Validation

Checks:

• File format
• Required columns
• Template structure

Field Validation

Checks:

• Mandatory fields
• Date formats
• Overtime hours format

Employee Validation

Checks:

• Employee Number exists
• Employee belongs to the importer's scope

Attendance Validation

Checks:

• Attendance records exist
• Employee is not absent
• Employee is not on leave for the overtime period

Duplicate Validation

Checks:

• Duplicate overtime requests
• Overlapping overtime entries
• Re-import conflicts

Example Scenario

A manufacturing plant has 400 employees.

At month-end:

1. Supervisors collect overtime chits.
2. HR consolidates the details in Excel.
3. HR imports the file using Import Overtime Requests.
4. Valid records are created automatically.
5. Failed rows are corrected and re-uploaded.
6. Managers approve the imported overtime requests.
7. Payroll runs using approved overtime records.

This eliminates hundreds of manual overtime entries every payroll cycle.

Important Notes

• Overtime requests created through import are not automatically approved.
• Employee Number is used as the primary identifier during import.
• Valid rows continue processing even when some rows fail.
• Failed rows can be corrected and re-imported safely.
• Approval workflows remain unchanged.
• Import access depends on user permissions and employee scope.
• Imported requests are always created in Pending Approval status.