Timesheet Templates

Timesheet Templates

Introduction

In any kind of work setting, time tracking is usually one key issue to consider. While both the employer and the employee will agree with me that time tracking is tedious, it also plays an important role in achieving the company’s goals and productivity. Therefore, whether you are operating a small business or large enterprise with numerous employees, it’s recommended that you keep a systematic way of tracking your employees’ work hours. The only way to achieve this is through timesheet templates.

Defining timesheet template

A timesheet template simply refers to a document (word, excel, or PDF) that is used by an employer to keep track of hours worked by an employee. This record is usually used to calculate the employees’ overtime and payroll. Usually, your workers are expected to include the exact time they start working and the time they stop/log out. This ensures that your employees stay more organized and receive transparent payment. There are different types of timescale templates, as mentioned below.

Types of timesheet templates

The employee timescale templates exist in three major types depending on the period you wish to track your employee records. These include the weekly timesheet, biweekly, and monthly timesheets.

Weekly Timesheet

This timesheet allows you to track your employees working time on a weekly basis. It is an ideal form of timesheets for employees getting weekly wages and paid time offs (PTO).

Biweekly Timesheet

This timecard template is used to track employees working hours after a period of every two weeks.

Monthly Timesheet

The Monthly Timesheet is used by employers paying their workers on a monthly basis.

What to include in a timesheet

Well, it Is easy for one to get confused about which information to include in their workers’ timesheet. If you are in such a dilemma, you should worry no more. The following are some of the mandatory data fields your timesheet shouldn’t miss.

Employee name

Identification number

Employee position

Days of the week worked

Start time and end time

Column for overtime/sick leave

Supervisor’s signature (to validate the information)

Note that the above information is the basics for every timesheet. However, you can only add more sections to suit your preference.

Reasons why you need a Timesheet

As mentioned above, a timesheet plays a critical role in the employee monitoring process and much more. According to studies, most businesses use a timesheet to perform the following tasks.

Maintain records and resolve disputes

The primary reason as to why most employers and business people use timesheets is to record the working time for their employees. Every time an employee gets to work, he or she is expected to sign in. Also, when they are done for the day, they are made to sign off. The employer, therefore, calculates the time difference and calculate the employees’ productivity or performance. This further translates to their pay.

At the same time, since there is a track record, the employer can use this to settle any payment disputes if at all they occur.

Provide accurate quotes to customers

With an accurate time for each task done, it is easy to calculate the amount charged for a specific product or service offered. This provides transparency and satisfaction to customers. For instance, if a product takes X hours to produce and the total production cost is Y amount, the customers will be convinced why s/he paid Z amount for it.

Improve task productivity

A professional timesheet helps identify repetitive tasks done by the employer within the day. With such information, employers can always determine ways to improve the teams’ productivity for tasks done.

How do you streamline your time tracking process?

After getting your timesheet ready, it’s important that you introduce it to your employees. First, you need to focus on its distribution and then collection.

Distribution

While some employers still use paper timesheets, others have switched to digital timesheets as they are easier to distribute. Therefore, if you are using a paper timesheet, you can simply distribute the timesheet either through hand delivery or through postal address. However, if you are using the digital timesheets, you can upload them to a shared work accounts such as google docs, dropbox or send them to employees’ individual emails. Ensure you send a timesheet format that your employees will find more comfortable to use.

Collection

As a rule of thumb, always ensure your employees send back the timesheets the same day. You don’t want the timesheets to be resentful at different days, as it will make your tracking more difficult. Also, ensure you specify the mode in which you would want the timesheets to send to you (this can either be through work email, shared account, or hand delivery for the printed/paper timesheets). Last but not least, ensure you sign the timesheets after validating them. Note that only the authorized persons should sign the documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is it appropriate to use a timesheet template?

Well, a timesheet template can be used by any enterprise lacking any payroll software or any other digital time management for employees.

What kind of information should I include in my timesheet template?

A standard timesheet should contain the employee’s name and identification number, position, daily attendance (start and end time per day), overtime/sick leave, and employers signature.

Should I consider any legality when using a timesheet?

There are no legal requirements when using a timesheet. However, ensure that you stick to the employer-employee contractual agreement.

Should employees be let to fill the timesheets on their own?

Yes. Employees can fill the timesheets on their own and submit them to their seniors for validation.

Why you should download our timesheet templates

Do you want to know if your team is actually getting the work done correctly? Well, our templates provide you with exactly what you are looking for. The templates are designed to help you and your team focus on more important tasks and stay positive and productive all through. Besides, the templates are simple and easy to use hence helps track your employees’ work time without much hassle.

Final thought

Tracking employees’ working time is important for every business. It helps you determine the productivity and performance of each employee. Also, tracking also comes with other benefits such as effective problem solving during paychecks, among others.