The hierarchy of Clients, Contracts, Workers and Authorisers
What this help article contains
Clients
Contracts
- A Contract is like a container for your workers.
- You can name contracts however it makes sense for your business:
- By location (e.g. Manchester Office)
- By job type (e.g. Warehouse Staff)
- By team name (e.g. Night Shift Team)
- Even by individual worker (e.g. John Smith)
- Contracts don't need to be named uniquely but if you're going to add two or more to the same client, we would recommend it.
- There’s no right or wrong way — choose what fits your setup.
Workers
Authorisers
Authorisers are the people who approve timesheets. This is where flexibility really matters.
- By default, they’re usually client staff such as line managers or supervisors.
- But anyone can be an authoriser if required:
- Someone at the client
- An admin (you)
- Even the worker themselves (not common, but sometimes needed)
Multiple Authorisers (the “OR” rule)
- A worker can have more than one authoriser.
- The logic is simple: if any of them approves the timesheet, it’s authorised.
See how to add or remove authorisers
Primary Authoriser
- Each worker must always have one Primary Authoriser.
- This is the person who gets notified when the worker submits a timesheet.
- You can change the primary authoriser at any time.
See how to set the primary authoriser
Example Setups
By Location
- Client: RetailCo Ltd
- Contracts: London Store, Manchester Store
- Workers: Temps assigned to each store
- Authoriser: Store Manager
By Job Type
- Client: BuildIt Constructions
- Contracts: Labourers, Electricians, Plumbers
- Workers: Contractors by trade
- Authoriser: Site Foreman
By Team
- Client: Tech Solutions
- Contracts: Development Team, Support Team
- Workers: Developers and support staff
- Authoriser: Team Leaders
By Worker
- Client: FinanceCorp
- Contracts: John Smith, Jane Doe
- Workers: One per contract
- Authorisers: Assigned manager, or in rare cases the worker themselves
FAQs
Do all workers in a contract need the same authoriser? No. While SaveTrees suggests the same authoriser for all workers in a contract (to save time), you can choose different ones.
Can a worker authorise their own timesheet? Yes. It’s not common, but the system allows it if your setup requires it.
What if a timesheet needs more than one person’s approval? You can set multiple authorisers. Any of them can approve the timesheet under the “OR” rule.