Time Tracking
Overlapping time entries
Sometimes two tasks report the same minutes. Colabio never counts a minute twice and never drops the second task silently: the entry keeps its task, carries an Overlap mark that says what happened, and the people involved decide which task the time was for. This page explains why overlaps happen, how they are counted and how to resolve one.
Why it happens
An overlap is a fact about the records, not an accusation. These are the usual causes.
Two devices with a timer running
A timer on the office laptop and another on the home desktop, each on a different task, both report the same minutes.
A device catching up after being offline
The desktop app queues time while offline and sends it later, into minutes another device already reported.
A correction moving time
A split or reassignment moves minutes onto a task whose slot already holds another task's time.
Manual time approved after tracking arrived
A manual time request was fine when it was made, but tracked time for that range arrived before it was approved.
How it is counted
A timesheet is built from ten-minute slots, and each slot holds one task. Here is one slot, 09:00 to 09:10.
Design
tracked on the laptop
Login page
sent later by the desktop
The timesheet
one entry, counted once
Login page's 7m
shown as Overlap 7m
- Not counted: 2m
- 09:03 to 09:05 was already Design's. Login page reported the same minutes, so they are counted once, as Design.
- Counted as Design: 5m
- 09:05 to 09:10 was free, so Login page's minutes fill it, but the slot belongs to Design. If those minutes were Login page work, a correction moves them.
The entry shows Overlap 7m: the 7 minutes Login page reported inside it. The day's total is 10 minutes, not 12.
Where you see it
The Overlap mark on an entry
Timesheets → list view. Click it for a panel naming the other task, the minutes not counted and the minutes counted as this entry's task, and the next step you can take.
Review overlaps
Above the timesheet, a notice counts the entries in the range that overlap and filters the list to them. Filters → Time type → Overlaps another task does the same.
The calendar view
An overlapping block carries a small layers icon; hover it for the same summary.
Exports
Download as Excel has Overlap minutes and Overlaps with columns next to the entry ids, start and end with UTC offset, and time zone. The PDF lists the overlap in its Notes column.
Resolving it
The member knows which task the time was for; a reviewer makes sure it is recorded that way.
Member
on your own timesheet
- 1Click the Overlap mark on the entry to see which other task's time landed there.
- 2If the entry's task is right, do nothing, or answer a reviewer's question if one is open.
- 3If part of the time was for the other task, choose Request a correction. The reason starts from the overlap; finish it and send.
- 4A reviewer approves it, the minutes move, and History keeps both versions.
Reviewer
a product manager or team leader on the project
- 1Open the member's timesheet and choose Review overlaps.
- 2Click an Overlap mark, then Ask which task it was. The question is written for you; edit it if you like.
- 3The member replies or requests a correction, which you approve under Time Approvals → Corrections.
- 4Settle the question under Time Approvals → Needs clarification with the outcome below.
Organization manager
any member's timesheet
- 1Everything a reviewer can do, plus fix it directly.
- 2From the Overlap panel choose Split the entry, and give the minutes that were for the other task to it.
- 3The correction is recorded in History and the audit log with your reason; the Overlap mark goes once the slot is rebuilt.
How a question ends
- Explained
- The member's answer settles it; the entry stays as it is.
- Duplicate confirmed
- The other task's time was the same work counted twice; nothing more to move.
- Parallel work explained
- Two things really happened at once, by agreement; the time stays on one task.
- Correction approved
- The member asked for the minutes to move and a reviewer approved it.
- Cleared
- Nothing to change; the question is withdrawn.
Questions, correction requests and History are covered in full in Time entry corrections and history.
Manual time and overlaps
Manual time can never cover minutes that are already on the timesheet.
When you add or request it
Add time refuses a range that runs into an existing entry and names it, for example “9:30 AM – 9:35 AM is already recorded on Design”. Pick a range outside it, or request a correction to that entry instead.
When it is approved later
If tracked time for that range arrived after the request was made, approval adds only the minutes still free. The reviewer's confirmation, the request and the member's list all say so: “1h requested, 40m applied: 20m was already tracked”.
Exports
Timesheets → Download as Excel or PDF, for the entries the current filters show. Filter to Overlaps another task first to export only those.
- Overlap minutes
- The other tasks' minutes inside the entry, counted or not.
- Overlaps with
- Which other task, or “a task in another project”.
- Review
- The open question or how it was settled.
- Start and End (with offset)
- Each entry's times as ISO 8601 with the member's UTC offset.
- Time zone
- The member's time zone the dates and clock times are in.
- Entry ids
- The slot ids, so a decision can point at exact records.
For reconciling records outside Colabio, the overlapping time entries worksheet uses the same fields.
Who can do what
| What | Org. manager | Product manager | Team leader | Employee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| See Overlap marks | Yes | Own projects | Own projects | Own entries |
| Ask the member about an overlap | Yes | Own projects | Own projects | No |
| Request a correction | No | Own entries | Own entries | Own entries |
| Approve a correction | Yes | Own projects | Own projects | No |
| Split or reassign the time directly | Yes | No | No | No |
Organization managers change time directly rather than asking for it to be changed. Roles are explained in Roles and permissions.
Questions
Does an overlap mean someone did something wrong?
No. Most overlaps come from a second device, a device that caught up after being offline, or a timer left running elsewhere. The mark only says two tasks reported the same minutes; the member's answer says why.
Where did my time on the other task go?
Nowhere silently. Minutes the entry already had are not counted again, because they were the same minutes. Minutes it did not have are counted, but as the entry's task. The Overlap panel shows both numbers; if they belong to the other task, request a correction to move them.
Can two tasks share the same minutes?
No. Each ten-minute slot belongs to one task, so totals, reports, utilization and invoices count every minute once. When two things really happened at once, a reviewer can settle the question as Parallel work explained; the time stays on one task.
Why can't I add manual time over time that is already tracked?
Because it would count the same minutes twice. Add time names the entry the range runs into, so you can pick a range outside it or request a correction to that entry instead. If tracked time arrives after a manual time request is made, approval adds only the minutes that are still free and says so, for example “1h requested, 40m applied: 20m was already tracked”.
Why does the panel say “a task in a project you cannot see”?
The other task belongs to a project you do not have access to. You still see how many minutes overlapped; the task's name stays private.
Does settling the question change the time?
No. A question and its outcome change nothing on their own. Only an approved correction, or a manager's split or reassignment, moves time, and both are kept in History.
Still have a question about overlapping time? Email support@colabio.org.