When a time entry is locked in Ruddr, it means that you can view the entry but cannot edit or delete it. A locked time entry is identified by a closed lock symbol on the time entry row or at the top of the time entry drawer.
Time entries cannot be individually locked or unlocked. The lock is based on the permissions of the security role assigned to the user and specific attributes such as the settings of the associated project or task. A time entry may be locked for one workspace member but unlocked for another member who has a security role with greater privileges.
When a time entry is locked, you can hover your mouse over the lock symbol to view the reason (Figure 1) for the lock condition.
Figure 1 - When Locked, you can View the Locking Reason by Hovering over the Lock Icon
Three Types of Administrative Rights to Time Entries
Based on a workspace member's security role, there are three different types of administrative rights to time entries. These are:
- Workspace Admin rights. The "Workspace Admin" is a predefined security role in Ruddr that is used for system administrators. The Workspace Admin has special permissions in Ruddr and will only see a locked time entry when that entry is associated with a published invoice.
- Member-based administrative rights. Within the Member Permissions section of the security role definition, the role may grant administrative rights to a group of member's time entries. The security role could provide administrative rights to all workspace members, to practice members, or to subordinates.
- Project-based administrative rights. Within the Project Permissions section of the security role definition, the role may grant administrative rights to a project's time entries. The role may grant this administrative right to all projects the member can access, projects where the member is on the project team, projects where the member is the Project Admin, or projects assigned to the member's practice.
For more on security roles and administrative rights, view the Security Roles article.
Several of the time locking rules in Ruddr are based on the type of administrative rights that the member has (if any) to the specific time entry, as further described below.
When will a Project Time Entry be Locked?
For workspace members assigned to the Workspace Admin security role, a time entry will be locked in only the following case:
- The time entry is associated with a published invoice.
For workspace members that have member-based administrative rights to a time entry (but who are not a Workspace Admin), a time entry will be locked if any of the following conditions exist:
- The time entry is associated with a published invoice.
- The time entry's project has been archived.
- The time entry's task has been archived.
- The time entry's project has the Lock time and expenses setting turned on.
- The time entry's task has the Lock time for this task setting turned on.
For workspace members that have project-based administrative rights to a time entry (but do not have member-based administrative rights), a time entry will be locked if any of the following conditions exist:
- The time entry is associated with a published invoice.
- The time entry's project has been archived.
- The time entry's task has been archived.
- The time entry's project has the Lock time and expenses setting turned on.
- The time entry's task has the Lock time for this task setting turned on.
- The time entry is older than the number of days specified in the Lock time and expenses after X days workspace setting.
- The time entry is older than the Lock time and expenses X days after a month ends workspace setting.
For all other members who do not have any administrative rights to a project's time entries, a time entry will be locked if any of the following conditions exist:
- The time entry is associated with a published invoice.
- The time entry's project has been archived.
- The time entry's task has been archived.
- The time entry's project has the Lock time and expenses setting turned on.
- The time entry's task has the Lock time for this task setting turned on.
- The time entry is older than the number of days specified in the Lock time and expenses after X days workspace setting.
- The time entry is older than the Lock time and expenses X days after a month ends workspace setting.
- The timesheet that the time entry is associated with has been submitted. Only applies if the Timesheets feature has been turned on for the workspace.
- The time entry is owned by another workspace member.
- The time entry has been manually approved.
- The time entry has been approved by the client. For more, see the Client Approvals help article.
- The member is no longer assigned to the project role associated with the time entry and the project has the Members can only track time to assigned roles setting on.
- The member has been set to inactive on the project team associated with the time entry.
When will a Time Off Entry be Locked?
If a workspace member is assigned to the Workspace Admin security role or has member-based administrative rights to a time off entry, the time off entry will never be locked.
If the member is the designated time off approver, but does not have member-based administrative rights to the time entry, the entry will be locked only if it is older than the number of days specified in the Lock time and expenses after X days or Lock time and expenses X days after a month ends workspace settings.
For all other workspace members, a time off entry will be locked when any of the following conditions exist:
- The timesheet that the time off entry is associated with has been submitted. Only applies if the Timesheets feature has been turned on for the workspace.
- The time entry has been manually approved.
For more information on time-off approval settings for a member, visit the Member Profile article in the Ruddr Help Center.
Creating Locked Time Entries
Ruddr will not allow you to create a time entry if that time entry would be immediately locked due to one or more of the rules above.
Unlocking a Locked Time Entry
Individual time entries cannot be manually locked or unlocked. If time entries for an entire project are locked, they can be unlocked by unchecking the Lock time and expenses checkbox on the Edit Project drawer. If time entries associated with a specific project task are locked, they can be unlocked by unchecking the Lock time for this task checkbox on the Edit Task drawer.
Other than the two bulk locking scenarios described above, a locked time entry will only become unlocked if the condition causing the lock is removed. To see why a time entry is locked, hover your mouse over the lock icon and a locking reason will be shown. You, or a member with greater permissions, must first remove the condition causing the lock before the time entry will become unlocked. For example, if a time entry is locked because it is associated with a published invoice, the invoice will need to be unpublished for the time entry to become unlocked.