You can create different approval workflows in TiM, because the way Startwork needs to be approved may vary from Project to Project. 

One Project may require multiple Approval Signatures to Fully Approve packets, another Project may require only one Approval Signature. Some production teams like all submitted packets to be reviewed before being passed to Approvers, while others do not.

Regardless of how your approval workflow is set up, the approval process in TiM is generally the same:

1. An Invite is sent.
2. The employee accepts their Employment Details.
3. The employee submits their I-9, then the rest of their Startwork documents.
4. The I-9 is verified.
5. Startwork Gatekeeper Review.
6. Startwork is passed from the Gatekeeper to Upstream Approvers.
7. Packet is Fully Approved.

See detailed information outlining each step below!

The approval process in TiM, start to finish: 

Step 1. An Invite is sent

A packet appears in the Approval Pipeline once an Invite is sent.

See: How to Invite employees to complete Startwork in TiM

Step 2. The employee accepts their Employment Details

In the Approval Pipeline, an employee's Startwork status appears as "Startwork not yet submitted" to indicate that the employee has accepted their Invite, but has not yet signed & submitted their Startwork packet. 

Step 3. The employee submits their I-9, then the rest of their Startwork documents

In TiM, if an employee is sent an I-9, the I-9 is always submitted before the rest of their Startwork documents (per USCIS regulations, Section 2 of the I-9 must be completed within the employee's first three days of employment).

Once an I-9 is submitted by the employee, you will see a red "Verify I-9" button appear next to their name in the Approval Pipeline.

Step 4. The I-9 is verified

In TiM, an I-9 must be verified before the rest of the Startwork packet can be approved. 

See: How to Verify an I-9 in TiM

Step 5. Startwork Gatekeeper Review

Once a packet is submitted by an employee and their I-9 is verified (if applicable), anyone granted "Approve Startwork as: Startwork Gatekeeper" Permission will be able to complete an initial review.

In TiM, Startwork Gatekeepers are always the first to review Startwork once it is submitted by employees, regardless of the Gatekeeper's real-life position or Job Description.

The Startwork Gatekeeper review step is built-in to TiM functionality and cannot be skipped.  

Once the Gatekeeper's review is complete, the packet is passed to other Approvers as necessary.

For more information, see: What is a Startwork Gatekeeper?

For more detailed instructions, see: How to approve Startwork as a Startwork Gatekeeper

Step 6. Startwork is passed from the Gatekeeper to Upstream Approvers (as necessary)

If a Project's Startwork requires multiple types of Approval Signatures to be considered Fully Approved, once a Gatekeeper has completed their review, the Startwork is passed to Upstream Approvers.

In TiM, anyone granted the Permission to "Approve Startwork as:..." a Production Accountant, UPM, AUPM, Production Supervisor, Line Producer, or Studio Exec, are considered to be "Upstream Approvers."

NOTE: A User's Permissions determine their Approval access. If you see an Approval column, but there is no "Approve" button, your Permissions are not set to allow access to that type of Approval. Ask a member of your team to edit your Permissions via Crew Management > "permissions."

For more detailed instructions, see: How to approve Startwork as an Upstream Approver

Step 7. Packet is Fully Approved

When a packet receives all the required Approval Signatures, it is considered Fully Approved.

Once a packet is Fully Approved, it cannot be edited further or deleted. If you discover an error, please see: An employee submitted Startwork, but it's wrong. How do I correct it?

Read next: How to export Startwork from TiM