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Excel Timesheet Template

Our Excel timesheet template is easy to use and free to download. Excel is a great way to record hours worked either by yourself, by an employee or contractor. We also look at free timesheet software available.

Free Excel Timesheet Template

What is a Timesheet?

A timesheet is a document used to record the amount of time spent on a task or project. timesheets can be used to track billable hours for clients, work shifts for employees, or any other type of time-based activity.

Timesheets typically include columns for the date, task, duration, and other relevant details. Some timesheets also have sections for notes or comments. timesheets can be paper-based or electronic, and they can be created using software such as Excel or Google Sheets.

Electronic timesheets are often easier to manage and can be automatically generated based on time tracking data. Whether paper-based or electronic, timesheets are a valuable tool for anyone who needs to track their time expenditure.

Timesheet Alternatives

Although using a paper-based timesheet might be a good solution for the business there are alternatives that may save paper and time.

Breathe HR offer an all-in-one human resource package including holiday management, sickness, timesheets, as well as storing company documents all in one place.

Pricing starts from £12 per month for 10 employees.

 

Why use Employee Timesheet Templates?

There may be several reasons why you decide to start using a timesheet for your business.

  • They are good for manual time tracking. More and more people are now working from home, and it is harder to check the hours they work. Using a timesheet will help to record the hours worked.
  • You may pay staff by the hour and timesheets are an excellent way to record hours worked.
  • You may need to allocate time worked against a specific project. Our free timesheet template allows you to do that, as there are columns for customer and reference.
  • In a business, there may be more time used on admin tasks than you expect. A timesheet will help you to look at the efficiency of the company.
  • When you receive the timesheet, you can calculate how many hours you can bill a customer.
  • By time-tracking hours worked, you can see if a project has overspent and adjust for future quotations.
  • A line manager can approve timesheets.
  • A timesheet can be for weekly, bi-weekly or monthly

An important consideration when introducing time management is to explain to the employees why you are doing it. Some staff will not like time tracking, but as a business owner it is important to know the hours worked and for which project or customer.

What Period Should I use a Timesheet for?

There are several options for a timesheet period; most businesses would use a month or weekly timesheet. The choice will depend on the reason for introducing the timesheet.

If it is for invoicing purposes, you may want to invoice the customer every day, week or month.

If you run a monthly payroll, then a monthly timesheet is sufficient. if you run a different pay period you will require a timesheet to fit the payroll.

Time Tracking Process

The time tracking process for employees is important in order to maintain an accurate account of working hours. When completing a timesheet, employees need to list sick hours, holiday hours as well as hours worked.

It helps to ensure that employees are paid correctly and that they do not exceed their allotted time off. In addition, time tracking can help to identify patterns of absenteeism or excessive overtime. As a result, time tracking is a crucial part of managing employee time and attendance.

Expense Tracking

As well as time-tracking it might be essential to keep track of employee expenses there are several ways to track expenses.

Business Expense Template
Business Expense Template

We have developed two expense templates and there are accounting packages and dedicated expense management solutions.

 

Free Excel Timesheet Template

As with all our templates, the Excel monthly timesheet template is free to download using the link at the bottom of the page. We have no advertising on the templates, and they are free for life.

How to use our Excel Timesheet Spreadsheet

  • Download the template
  • Save it to either a hard disk or cloud storage
  • If you want to add a company logo, insert it at the top
  • In cell 2E you can add weekly, bi-weekly or monthly to the word timesheet
  • Complete your name and date
  • Start adding the time worked in the table
  • If working on different projects use a separate row for each
  • Do not include lunch breaks
  • The reference number might be a project that you are working on or a purchase order number
  • Add customer name if there is one
  • Description of work – add as much or little detail as needed

If you prefer using paper timesheets download our PDF version and complete it by hand.

The timesheet example below will help to get you started.

Excel Timesheet Template Example
Excel Timesheet Template Example

As you add hours to the sheet, the total hours at the bottom is automatically updated. In the timesheet example above, the total hours worked are 26.5 and 1.5 was on administration duties.

Once the timesheet is complete, either share it online or email it to the correct person. It might be to a line manager for approval or the business owner.

There are many different Excel Timesheet Templates available online, and it may take a while to find the most suitable one for your business. Most will only record the total time and do not allow detail added.

QuickBooks Accounting Software Discount

Overtime Hours

When an employee works overtime hours, they are typically charged at a different rate than their regular hours. As a result, the employee may want to list the overtime hours on a separate timesheet or at the bottom of the monthly timesheet, in order to keep track of the hours worked and the pay rate.

It will help to ensure that the employee is paid correctly for all hours worked. Additionally, it will help to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about the pay rate for overtime hours.

Automated Time Tracking Tool

We created the Excel timesheet for a client following their requirements. They wanted something simple for employees to use, and Excel fitted their needs.

We have also looked into free online apps and have taken a trial of Clookify. They also offer a paid version, but I was surprised how much was available for free. The good news is that the free version is free forever. At the time of writing this, they scored 4.7 out of 5 on 1400 reviews.

Advantages of Clookify Timesheet Software

Below are some of the advantages of using Clookify:

  • Great for tracking multiple employees
  • Employee hours are added either through the website or app
  • Hours added by start and stop timer (real-time) or manual
  • Add Clients and project details to record against
  • Lots of reports including by team members, clients, projects and tasks
  • Reports exported by Excel or PDF
  • Approve timesheets online by the manager
  • Easy to keep track of all staff in one place
  • Easy to see billable work to a client.

The main disadvantage I found on the free version is that all staff members can see the hours work for the other staff. It is part of the paid version and starts at $9.99 per month.

Having tried Clookify, I would certainly, for most projects, choose it over using Excel Spreadsheets.

Download our Free Excel Monthly or Weekly Timesheet Template

By downloading our free templates, you agree to our licence agreement, allowing you to use the templates for your own personal or business use only. You may not share, distribute, or resell the templates to anyone else in any way. 

As with all our templates, the simple timesheet template is easy to use and free to download. It can be used with Google sheets.

Conclusion to Employee Timesheet Templates

The Excel timesheet template is a great way for employees to keep track of the hours worked, and it can help to avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about the pay rate for overtime.

Additionally, there are many different types of timesheet templates available online, and it may take a while to find the most suitable one for your business.

Other Useful Excel Templates

Many small business owners handle their own accounting, and there are a number of excel templates developed by Business Accounting Basics to help with this process. Our Excel templates include:

Business expenses

cash book

petty cash

balance sheet

While some small business owners may be hesitant to use excel templates, they can actually be a lifesaver when it comes to keeping accurate records. excel templates can help small business owners to keep track of their income and expenses, as well as provide a way to see where their money is going.

Return from Free Excel Timesheet Template to Free Excel Bookkeeping Templates.