# Why a shift can't be edited or deleted

**For:** Manager
**You'll need:** Nothing.

{{ app_name }} blocks edits and deletes on a shift once its time entry has been approved. Approval is the only thing that locks a shift — it protects payroll-relevant history.

## When you'll see the rejection

You try to save or delete a shift and {{ app_name }} refuses, showing a **'Shift locked'** banner with who approved it and when (e.g. "Approved by Sarah Lee on Mon, Apr 20 2026").

## What causes a lock

- The shift has an **approved time entry**. Once a manager approves the time entry, the underlying shift and its assignment are frozen.

That's the only lock. There's no period to close or reopen.

## How to unlock

1. Open the shift's row on the {doc}`timesheet </track-time/timesheet/index>`.
2. **Unapprove** the time entry — see {doc}`/track-time/timesheet/unapprove-a-time-entry`.
3. Edit or delete the shift normally.

```{warning}
Unapproving a time entry has downstream effects on payroll exports and accruals. Don't unlock unless you understand them.
```

## Related

- {doc}`/track-time/timesheet/unapprove-a-time-entry`
- {doc}`edit-a-shift`
- {doc}`delete-a-shift`