How to fill in a timesheet
- Choose Weekly or Biweekly, and the day your workweek starts. Pick the first day's date if you want dates printed on each row.
- Type the clock-in and clock-out time for each day you worked. "9", "930" and "9:30pm" all work, and an end time earlier than the start is read as a shift past midnight.
- Enter any unpaid meal break in minutes.
- Add your name, your employer and an hourly rate if you want them on the printout.
- Press Print timesheet for a filled copy with signature lines, or Download CSV to open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
Hours for the day = clock out − clock in − unpaid break
Overtime = hours over 40 in each workweek (federal)
What a timesheet should record
Employers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act keep these records for each employee who is owed minimum wage and overtime. A timesheet covers the hours part of the list.
- The employee's full name.
- The day and time the workweek begins.
- The hours worked each workday and the total hours worked each workweek.
- The regular hourly rate in any week with overtime, straight-time earnings and the overtime premium.
The printed sheet carries the name, the period, the start and end time for each day, the daily hours, the weekly totals and the overtime, so it lines up with the hours items above.
29 CFR 516.2(a)(1), (5) to (9).
Worked example
Monday to Thursday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch, is 8:00 a day. Friday, 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM with the same lunch, is 9:30. The week adds up to 41:30, or 41.50 hours.
| Line | Hours | Decimal |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 4 × 8:00 | 32.00 |
| Friday | 9:30 | 9.50 |
| Regular (first 40) | 40:00 | 40.00 |
| Overtime (over 40) | 1:30 | 1.50 |
| Week | 41:30 | 41.50 |
How long timesheets are kept
Under federal rules, employers keep time cards or sheets that show each employee's daily starting and stopping times for at least 2 years. Payroll records are kept for at least 3 years. Your state may set a longer period.
29 CFR 516.5(a), 516.6(a)(1).
Questions
Can I print a blank timesheet?
Yes. Press Print blank copy and the grid prints with empty time and total boxes to fill in by hand. Any name, employer or dates you entered are kept on the blank copy.
Does a biweekly timesheet count overtime after 80 hours?
No. US federal overtime is counted for each workweek on its own, so it starts after 40 hours in either week, not after 80 in the pay period.
How do I write 8 hours and 30 minutes on a timesheet?
As 8:30 in hours and minutes, or 8.50 in decimal hours. The decimal hours calculator converts any other time.
Are the times I type saved anywhere?
No. The timesheet runs in your browser. The CSV file is made on your device when you press Download CSV.
Sources
- 29 CFR 516.2, Records for employees subject to minimum wage and overtime (eCFR)
- 29 CFR 516.5, Records to be preserved 3 years (eCFR)
- 29 CFR 516.6, Records to be preserved 2 years (eCFR)
- 29 CFR 778.104, Each workweek stands alone (eCFR)
- 29 CFR Part 785, Hours Worked (eCFR)
- Limits
- Not legal, tax or payroll advice. A record of hours, not a payroll or legal check. See the Disclaimer.