Did you know that you can use Google Sheets to create a timesheet template? While Google itself doesn’t provide templates, you can easily find them online, including on our website!
We offer daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly timesheet templates that you can simply make a copy of and share with your staff. Below, you’ll find these templates as well as information on who should use paper timesheets.
Free Timesheet Templates for Google Sheets
These free templates require no registration or credit card. You can also export them from Google Sheets as an Excel or CSV timesheet.
Our downloadable timesheets comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act (more details below) in that they track daily work hours and regular pay and overtime earnings.
Employees also sign their timesheets to certify that:
- You have granted them their mandatory breaks
- They have not been injured or fallen ill due to work
- The timesheet is accurate
This way, everyone can refer to the timesheet in case of future confusion regarding work schedules, hours worked, pay rates, or any other relevant matter.
Daily Timesheet Template
You can download the daily timesheet template here. Just click “Make a Copy” to customize it according to your needs.
Weekly Timesheet Template
You can download the weekly timesheet template here. Just click “Make a Copy” to customize it according to your needs.
Biweekly Timesheet Template
You can download the biweekly timesheet template here. Just click “Make a Copy” to customize it according to your needs.
Monthly Timesheet Template
You can download the monthly timesheet template here. Just click “Make a Copy” to customize it according to your needs.
Can I Print Them?
Yes! Just remove any blank values and print them for your team to fill out.
Can My Team Members Fill Them in Google Sheets?
Yes! That works too. These templates already come with handy formulas, so all your team needs to do is fill in their hours and pay rates, and the templates will automatically update their total earnings! Just make sure to send each team member their own copy by going to File -> Make a Copy. This way, they won’t mess up your original document.
Why Use a Timesheet in the First Place?
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that you must keep certain records for non-exempt employees, including:
- Daily hours worked
- Total hours worked per week
- Total daily or weekly earnings for regular and overtime hours
If your team members use a time-tracking machine or tool, you’re likely already keeping these records. Most time-tracking devices and apps collect basic information, but Hourly’s free time-tracking software tracks hours in real-time.
In addition to being required by federal law, timesheets are beneficial for businesses. They help workers avoid working more or fewer hours than agreed upon.
Timesheets also facilitate accurate payroll calculation for you or your staff, or serve as a basic tool for project management. Tracking time spent on a project can help you check profit margins and ensure that the work remains profitable.
Your project timesheet can then help you determine project pricing more easily. Want a simpler solution for that? Hourly shows you real-time labor costs, so you always know exactly how much a project costs and can set prices for future projects.
Lastly, timesheets protect against the most costly personnel disputes across industries: collective actions for incorrect compensation. Paired with payroll records, they can prove that you properly complied with wage and hour laws in case something serious arises.
Who Are Paper Timesheets Best Suited For?
Paper timesheets are best suited for workers who don’t have smartphones. If most of your workers have basic phones, they may not be able to download apps from the App Store or Google Play. Using a time-tracking app wouldn’t make sense in that case.
Are Paper Timesheets Suitable for Small Businesses?
In general, paper timesheets are not a good option, even for the smallest businesses, as they quickly become difficult to distribute, collect, and correct in case of calculation errors.
Going digital becomes even more appealing when considering that Hourly’s free time-tracking app automates so many things for you.
And since you can set up your account to have employees clock in when they are physically at the work site and automatically clock out after a certain number of hours, you won’t overpay or underpay them due to reporting errors.
What About Small Construction Businesses?
Paper timesheets may seem like a good fit here, but they 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 constantly be on the lookout for errors. That’s why we recommend a time-tracking app that handles all of that for you.
Why Use Google Sheets Timesheet Templates Instead of Excel?
Tracking templates on Google Sheets are easy to edit, share, and print. Many people are already familiar with Google Sheets, so there’s no steep learning curve if you want to switch to a template. Even if you’re not familiar with the program, it’s simple to grasp the basics.
Plus, you don’t need to purchase software like Microsoft Excel to use it. Just use your professional or personal Google account to view or edit the templates and seamlessly integrate them into your workflow and the Google suite of tools.
How to Create a Timesheet in Google Sheets?
Creating a simple timesheet in Google Sheets is as easy as creating the columns and rows you need. To cover the essentials, you’ll want to add space for:
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Basic employment details such as:
- Employee name and position
- Hourly rate
- Shift (1st, 2nd, or 3rd)
- Department
- Supervisor
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Job or project name
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Time entries, such as:
- Day and date
- Start and end time of the workday
- Lunch breaks
- Paid time off
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Totals of working hours, including a column for regular, overtime, and total hours worked
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Total earnings for that pay period
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Employee and supervisor signature and date
After creating your online timesheet template, you can set the sharing permissions to read-only, preventing accidental modifications. However, people can still download the sheet, fill it out, and print it.
If you want to use Google Sheets to track all your employees’ hours, you can take the total regular and overtime hours from each timesheet and transfer them to a main Google Sheets timesheet or Excel file that lists all your employees.
Is There a Timesheet on Google Docs?
There is no official Google Docs timesheet, but you can easily create one by inserting a table. Just go to “Insert” and then “Table,” and select the number of columns and rows you need.
Maintain Good Timesheet Records to Make Your Life Easier
Whether you use printed or digital timesheets, the most important thing for your business and compliance with the law is to keep accurate records of your employees’ work hours.
That said, printed timesheets work best for people who don’t have access to a computer or smartphone. Make your life easier and sign up for free time-tracking software like Hourly, which can do everything paper does and more, without worrying about human errors or having to dust off your high school calculator.
