Build a timesheet reconciliation agent

Step 1: Define what counts as an anomalyExcel

List the specific patterns that should trigger a flag — hours submitted that exceed the scheduled shift by a set margin, overlapping entries across two jobs/projects, a sudden jump from a person's typical weekly pattern, or missing manager approval.

Step 2: Build the reconciliation agentCopilot Studio

In Copilot Studio, connect the agent to your timesheet and schedule data and have it compare each submission against both the schedule and that employee's trailing average, flagging anything that breaks the defined thresholds.

Prompt idea:

Compare this week's submitted timesheets against each employee's scheduled hours and their 8-week average. Flag any entry more than [your margin]% above scheduled hours or their historical average, and state the specific numbers being compared.

Step 3: Route flags to a payroll reviewer, not auto-adjustExcel

Write flagged entries to a review Table with the scheduled hours, the 8-week average, and the submitted hours side by side so a reviewer sees the comparison at a glance.

Never configure the flow to auto-correct a submitted timesheet, even for an obviously-over-threshold entry; the correction is a payroll decision, not a data-cleanup step.

Step 4: Clear the reviewed backlog before the payroll cutoffExcel

Build the review step into your payroll calendar so flags get resolved before the pay run, not after money has already gone out.

Check the work

• Spot-check unflagged timesheets against the schedule too — a threshold set too loosely will let real discrepancies through silently.
• Confirm flagged discrepancies show real numbers from the source data, not an approximate summary.
• Track false-positive rate over a few pay cycles and tighten or loosen thresholds based on what reviewers actually find.

Source: Microsoft Copilot Scenario Library — HR (2026)