What is a timesheet?
A timesheet is a record of the hours an employee worked, usually for one week. It shows each day's start and end times, unpaid breaks, the hours worked and the job they were on. The employee signs it, a supervisor approves it, and it becomes the basis for payroll and job costing.
Employers generally have to keep accurate records of hours worked by non-exempt employees. A signed weekly timesheet is a simple way to do that.
How to fill out this timesheet template
- Enter the employee and the week. Pick the date the week starts, and each row shows its date.
- Enter start and end times. Type times like 7:00, 7:30 am or 15:30. An end time like 3:30 with no am or pm, earlier than the start, is read as afternoon.
- Enter unpaid break minutes. They're taken off the day's hours.
- Or type hours directly. If you enter a number in the hours column, it's used instead of the times.
- Name the job on each row if the employee worked on more than one site. It helps when you cost jobs later.
- Add a rate if you want a gross pay estimate, including overtime.
- Sign it. The employee confirms the hours, and the supervisor approves them.
Overtime on a weekly timesheet
Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees must be paid at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. A workweek is a fixed, repeating 7-day period that the employer sets. It doesn't have to start on Monday.
Some states go further. A few require overtime after a set number of hours in a single day, and some have other rules for seventh-day work or specific industries. If your state has daily overtime, this weekly total won't capture it, so check your state's rules and work out daily overtime separately.
| Example week | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday to Friday, 7:00 to 4:00 with a 30-minute break | 8.5 a day, 42.5 total |
| Regular hours | 40 |
| Overtime hours | 2.5 |
Exempt employees, such as many salaried managers, aren't owed overtime under federal law. Whether someone is exempt depends on their duties and pay, not just their title. Independent contractors don't get overtime either, but labeling a worker a contractor doesn't make them one. See the independent contractor agreement page for more on that.
Weekly timesheet vs daily or monthly
A weekly timesheet matches how overtime is counted under federal law and how most crews are paid. A daily timesheet suits jobs where hours are signed off at the end of each shift. A monthly timesheet works for salaried staff who only track time for billing. To keep a monthly record, save one weekly sheet per week.
Construction timesheets
On construction jobs, the job column matters. Tracking hours by job lets you compare labor against your estimate and bill time-and-materials work correctly. Pair it with a daily report to record what each crew did, and a work order for one-off service calls.
Questions
Is this timesheet template free?
Yes. Fill it in, then download it as a PDF or Word file, or print it. No account needed.
How are hours calculated?
Hours are the time between start and end, minus break minutes. If you type a number in the hours column, that number is used instead. An end time earlier than the start with no am or pm is read as the afternoon, or as the next day for overnight shifts.
When is overtime owed?
Under federal law, non-exempt employees get at least 1.5 times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. Some states also require daily overtime or have other rules, so check your state.
Do unpaid breaks count as hours worked?
Bona fide meal breaks, usually 30 minutes or more where the employee is fully relieved of duty, generally don't count. Short rest breaks usually do count as work time. State rules can differ.
Can I use this for more than one job in a week?
Yes. Each row has its own job column, and you can add more rows for days split between sites.