Log crew hours from the field
4 min read · Updated 11 May 2026
Why crew logging beats individual entry
On a typical day a foreman has 6–12 operatives across 2–4 activities. Entering one row per operative per activity is 30+ rows of data. The crew matrix lets you enter that same data as one form, which saves about 10 minutes a day per foreman — the difference between "yes, we log hours" and "we'll do it Friday".
Step by step
From the bottom nav on the PWA, or Labour → Crew log on desktop. Pick today's date (the date defaults to today, change it for catch-up entry).
Type to filter, then tick the L4 activities the crew worked today. You can add or remove activities mid-entry — entered hours travel with the column.
Rows appear for every operative ticked. The same operative can split hours across multiple activities — the row total updates live, and warns if it exceeds 16h (the daily cap).
Hours land in the foreman's approval queue. Approved entries hit the dashboard within seconds; rejected entries bounce back with a reason note.
Offline-first
The PWA caches your active project on first load. If you lose signal mid-entry, your taps are queued in an outbox and synced when signal returns — you won't see a spinner of doom. The outbox icon at the top right shows pending count; tap it to retry sooner.
Bulk import past hours
For historical hours (e.g. before you went live), use Labour → Bulk import. Same XLSX schema as the template; one row per operative-per-activity-per-day. Useful for back-filling a current month so dashboards start "warm" rather than empty.
What next?
Once a few days of hours are in, the dashboards start telling stories. Reports & dashboards →
Frequently asked
Can operatives log their own hours?
Yes — operatives with login accounts use the same crew log scoped to themselves. Most teams skip this and let foremen log everyone; it's about 10× faster.
What's the daily hours cap and why?
16 hours per operative per day. Above that we flag a 'hours over daily cap' clash that blocks approval until a foreman confirms. The cap catches typos and timekeeping errors before they hit the dashboard.
Does crew logging work offline?
Yes. The PWA caches your active project and queues entries in an outbox if you lose signal. They sync as soon as you're back online — no spinners, no lost data.
How do I correct a mistake after approval?
Open the entry from the labour list and click 'Reject + edit'. The entry returns to the foreman's queue with your edit note; the original is preserved in the audit log.
Can I copy yesterday's matrix?
Yes — the 'Copy yesterday' button on the crew log pre-fills today's matrix with yesterday's operatives, activities and split. Edit and submit.