Did you know you can use Google Sheets to create a timesheet template? While Google itself doesn't provide any templates, you can find plenty online that others have made—including ours!
We have daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly timesheet templates you can swipe. All you have to do is make a copy and share them with your staff. Find those below, along with info on who should use paper timesheets.
Free Timesheet Templates for Google Sheets
These free templates don't require you to sign-up or give your credit card for access. You can also export them from Google Sheets as an excel timesheet or CSV.
Our downloadable timesheets are in line with the Fair Labor Standards Act (more on that further below) requirements in that they track daily working hours, as well as straight-time and overtime earnings.
Workers also sign their employee timesheet to certify that:
- You provided them with their mandated breaks
- They weren't hurt on the job or got a work-related illness
- The timecard is accurate
That way, everyone can refer to the timesheet if there's any confusion in the future about work schedules, hours worked, pay rates or other relevant issue.
Daily Timesheet Template
Download here! Just click "Make a copy" to customize your own.
Weekly Timesheet Template
Download here! Just click "Make a copy" to customize your own.
Biweekly Timesheet Template
Download here! Just click "Make a copy" to customize your own.
Monthly Timesheet Template
Download here! Just click "Make a copy" to customize your own.
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Can I Print These?
Yes! Just delete all the 0 values and print them for you team to fill in.
Can My Team Members Fill These Out in Google Sheets?
Yes! That works too. These templates already come with handy formulas, so all your team has to do is fill in their hours and pay rates, and the templates will update their total pay automatically! Just make sure to send each team member their own copy by going to File-->Make a copy. That way they won't be corrupting your original document.
Why Use a Timesheet in the First Place?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) says you need to keep certain records for nonexempt employees, including the:
- Hours worked each day
- Total hours worked each week
- Total daily or weekly earnings for regular and overtime hours
If your team members clock in on a machine or other time-tracking tool, you're probably already keeping these records. Most devices and timesheet apps collect the basics, but Hourly's free time tracking software tracks hours in real time.
In addition to being federally mandated, timesheets are beneficial to businesses. They help workers avoid working more or fewer hours than agreed.
Timesheets also make it enormously easier for you or your staff to make accurate payroll calculations or use them as a basic project management tool. Monitoring how much time you've spent on a project can help you check profit margins and ensure the job remains lucrative.
Your project timesheet can then help you better price future projects. Want an easier way to do that? Hourly shows you labor costs in real-time so you always know exactly how much a project costs and can figure out the price tags for future ones too.
Finally, timesheets protect against the most expensive personnel litigation in any industry: class action lawsuits for incorrect pay. Pairing them with payroll records can prove that you were correctly following wage and hour laws in case anything serious comes up.
Who Are Paper Timesheets Best For?
Paper timesheets work best for workers who don't have smartphones. If most of your workers have basic phones, they might be unable to download apps from the Apple or Google Play store. So, it wouldn't make sense to use a time tracking app.
Are Paper Timesheets a Good Fit for Small Businesses?
In general, paper timesheets aren't a great option for even the smallest of businesses because they quickly become cumbersome to manually distribute, collect, and correct calculation errors.
Going digital becomes all the more appealing when you consider that Hourly's free time-tracking app automates so much for you.
And because you can set your account to have employees record their time when they're physically at that job site and automatically clock out after a set number of hours, you won't under or overpay them because of reporting mistakes.
What About Small Construction Companies?
Paper timesheets can seem like a good solution here, but they will quickly become a headache. Not only will you have to run around collecting timesheets if you have workers at multiple sites, but you'll also have to remind employees to submit their timesheets on time and always be on top of fixing errors. That's why we recommend a time tracking app that does all that for you.
Why Use Google Sheets Timesheet Templates Instead of Excel?
Google Sheets tracking templates are easy to edit, share, and print. Many people are already familiar with Google Sheets, so the learning curve is minimal if you want to edit your template. Even if you're unfamiliar with the program, it's simple to figure out the basics.
You also don't have to purchase software like Microsoft Excel to use it. Instead, use your Google business or personal account to view or edit templates and easily integrate them into your workflow and Google's other suite of products.
How Do I Make a Timesheet in Google Sheets?
Creating a simple timesheet in Google Sheets is just a matter of creating the columns and rows you need. To cover the essentials, you'll want to add a space for:
1. Basic employment details, such as:
- Employee name and title
- Hourly rate
- Shift (1st, 2nd, or 3rd)
- Department
- Supervisor
2. Job site or project name
3. Time entries, such as:
- Day and date
- Workday start time and end time
- Lunch breaks
- Paid time off
4. Work hour totals, including a column for regular, overtime, and total work hours
5. Total pay for that pay period
6. Employee and supervisor signature and date
After creating your online timesheet template, you can set sharing permissions to view only, keeping people from accidentally making changes. They can, however, download the sheet, fill it in and print it.
If you want to use Google Sheets to also track all your employees' hours, you can take the total regular and overtime hours worked from each timesheet and transfer it to a master Google Sheets Timesheet or Excel spreadsheet that lists all your employees.
Is There a Timesheet on Google Docs?
There's no official Google Docs timesheet from Google, but you can easily make your own by inserting a table. Simply go to "Insert," then "Table," and select the number of columns and rows you need.
Keep Good Timesheet Records and Make Life Easier for Yourself
It doesn't matter whether you're using printed or digital timesheets. The most important thing for your business and complying with the law is keeping an accurate record of when your employees work.
That said, printed timesheets work best for people without access to a computer or smartphone. Make your life easier and sign up for a free time tracker, like Hourly's, which can do everything paper does and more—without worrying about human error or having to dust off your high school calculator.
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