Skip to main content
Locking a pay period freezes its time entries so nothing changes after you’ve reviewed and run payroll for it. This protects the numbers behind an approved or paid submission. Unlocking is deliberately restricted to super admins.

​
What locking does

When a pay period is locked, its time entries cannot be edited or force-clocked-out. Anyone who tries sees:
Cannot modify time entries in a locked pay period. Contact your administrator to unlock.
This keeps a finalized payroll period tamper-proof.

​
Automatic locking

You usually don’t lock periods by hand. PayPunch locks a pay period automatically when its payroll submission is approved or marked paid. The lock reason is recorded as an automatic lock so the history is clear.

​
Locking a period manually

A pay period can be locked once it has ended (you can’t lock the active, current period). Locking requires a reason, which is stored in the period’s lock history.
You can’t lock a period that’s already locked, and you can’t lock the current/active period — wait until the period ends.

​
Unlocking a period

Sometimes a correction is needed after a period is locked. Unlocking is a SUPER_ADMIN-only action.
1

Confirm you have access

Only SUPER_ADMIN users can unlock. Standard ADMIN users see “Only super admins can unlock pay periods.”
2

Unlock with a reason

Unlock the period, supplying a reason for the change. The reason is stored in the lock history.
3

Make the correction

With the period unlocked, edit the time entries as needed, then lock it again.

​
Lock status and history

Every lock and unlock is recorded with the action (Locked / Unlocked), who performed it, the reason, and a timestamp. You can check whether a period is locked, whether its entries are editable, and review the full lock/unlock history for an audit trail.
If you can’t edit a time entry, the period is almost certainly locked. Check the lock status — and remember that re-opening it for an edit is a SUPER_ADMIN action.