Key Takeaways
A single card on the screen
A worker opens a timecard app used by a Dutch temporary employment agency and sees only one card in the list, marked “Found: 1”, so all attention falls on that single week.
A past week with no hours
The card is labelled “Leegloop” and covers week 46 of the year 2025, from 10 November to 16 November, a period that has already passed by the end of November 2025, yet the total still shows only a dash instead of hours.
A gentle warning to take action
Beneath the empty total sits a pink “Report” label next to buttons such as “Action”, “More”, and “Go to”, signalling that the week is open and still needs to be checked, completed, or confirmed.
Story & Details
A quiet moment with a work app
On a workday in late November 2025, a worker unlocks a phone and opens a timecard app. The interface looks clean and simple: a blue bar at the top, a title that reads “Timecards”, and a list that has room for many weeks but currently holds just one. Sorting is set to “Number” and the filter is set to “All (no period filter)”, so nothing is being hidden. The text “Found: 1” confirms that there is only a single week to review.
Zooming in on week 46
The card that does appear belongs to week 46 of 2025, labeled “2025-46” with the dates 10 November to 16 November. By the time this screen is viewed, that week is already over. The worker is not planning a schedule but looking back at what the system believes has happened. This is exactly what modern timecard tools are built for: giving an easy way to see whether all working time for a past period has been captured and is ready for payroll.
The meaning of “Leegloop”
Across the top of the card sits a short word in Dutch: “Leegloop”. It literally evokes a sense of empty running or slow draining away. In everyday Dutch, it can describe an office that is losing staff or a village where people move out. In a work context, it often points to idle time: a person, machine, or team that is ready for work but has nothing to do. On a timecard, a label like this is a quiet clue that the week carries no recorded activity.
The story behind a simple dash
Where many workers would expect to see a number of hours, the line “Total: –” appears. That small dash says a lot. It means that, as far as the system is concerned, this worker has not logged any time in that period. Several things could explain this. The worker might genuinely have had the week off. The app might still be waiting for hours to be typed in. Or the shifts might have taken place but never been recorded. Whatever the reason, the week is still unresolved for payroll and planning purposes.
Buttons that invite a next move
Under the empty total, the eye is drawn to a pink icon and the word “Report”. Nearby sit three subtle prompts: “Action” on the left, “More” in the middle, and “Go to” on the right. These controls hint at what the app expects: open the week, check each day, enter hours if needed, and then mark the period as ready. Modern digital timecards make that process quicker than old paper cards, but they depend on the same simple habit: someone has to go in and confirm what actually happened.
Why this small Dutch word matters
For someone who is not used to Dutch, “Leegloop” might look mysterious or even worrying. A short language lesson helps. Knowing that it points to emptiness or idle time turns the label into a useful signpost. Instead of feeling like an error message, it simply shows: this week is blank. That insight can reduce stress for workers who are still getting used to digital timekeeping and can help them explain the situation to a planner, payroll officer, or contact at the agency.
Conclusions
An empty week is still a clear signal
A week marked “Leegloop” with a dash instead of a total is not a dead end. It is a clear signal that the timecard app has no hours on record for that past period and that someone needs to decide whether that is correct.
Understanding the label brings calm
Once the meaning of the Dutch word is clear and the role of the “Report” prompt is understood, the screen stops feeling mysterious. It becomes a simple reminder to review, adjust, or accept the quiet week.
Small screens, real consequences
This kind of mobile view may look modest, but it connects directly to real-life outcomes such as correct pay and reliable records. A brief check of one empty card can be the difference between confusion later and smooth, predictable wages now.
Selected References
[1] Reverso Context. “Leegloop – Translation into English.” Dutch–English example sentences showing “leegloop” used to describe idle time and underuse. Available at: https://context.reverso.net/translation/dutch-english/leegloop
[2] Time Champ. “What Is a Time Card? Its Role in Workforce Management.” Explainer on how time cards record start and end times and support accurate payroll and compliance. Available at: https://www.timechamp.io/glossary/time-card
[3] Employment Hero. “Electronic timesheets: what are they and do you need them?” Guide to the role of electronic timesheets in tracking working hours and projects. Available at: https://employmenthero.com/uk/blog/electronic-timesheets-guide/
[4] SalaryBox. “What is a timesheet? A complete guide to understanding timesheets in 2025.” Overview of how modern timesheets work and why they matter for productivity and labour law compliance. Available at: https://salarybox.in/blog/what-is-a-timesheet-a-complete-guide-to-understanding-timesheets-in-2025/
[5] Eastern Michigan University. “Submitting Timesheets: A Step-by-step Guide to Submitting Your Student Employee Timesheet at EMU.” Video tutorial on YouTube showing how to review and submit a digital timesheet. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Z9TENaFKg
Appendix
Idle time
Idle time is a stretch of the working day or week when a person, team, or machine is available but not doing useful work, often because no task has been assigned or some resource is missing.
Leegloop
Leegloop is a Dutch word that suggests empty running or slow draining away and is often used to describe underuse, loss of people, or idle time, such as a week on a timecard where no hours are recorded.
Time card
A time card is a record of when someone starts and finishes work, and sometimes of breaks and overtime, so that total hours and pay can be calculated accurately.
Timecard app
A timecard app is a digital tool, usually on a phone or browser, that lets workers see, enter, and submit time cards instead of relying on paper forms or wall clocks.
Timesheet
A timesheet is a grid or form that lists work hours for each day over a period such as a week or month, often grouped by task or project, and then sent for approval before payroll is run.
Week number
A week number is a code that gives each week of the year a simple label, such as “2025-46” for the forty-sixth week of 2025, which helps planners and payroll teams match timecards to specific calendar periods.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 