What is a timesheet?

Learn how to track when employees start and stop their work by using a timesheet.

A timesheet is a data table that employers use to track an employee’s work hours and more. The employee notes their arrival and departure time, which helps the employer calculate the total hours worked during a specific period.

Why use a timesheet?

The primary use of a timesheet is to calculate payroll, but there are many more benefits timesheets can bring to your business. They can:

• Record time spent on specific tasks to calculate project costs
• Track employee work schedules
• Create accurate customer billing
• Identify labor inefficiencies to cut waste
• Keep accurate records

Timesheets come in all shapes and sizes. You can use the traditional pen and paper, digital spreadsheets in software like Microsoft Excel, or dedicated time-tracking software.

Information to include.

When you’re dealing with something as important as employee pay, you have to have details to ensure they’re getting the right compensation. Just like writing an invoice, it’s crucial to include all the right information on your timesheets to ensure there aren’t any mistakes. Include:

• Employee name
• Pay period
• Date worked
• Hours worked
• Total hours for the week (or pay period)

If your company offers paid holidays or paid time off (PTO), your timesheet should include that as well.

Approve timesheets electronically.

Since it’s possible for employees to write whatever times they want, most businesses require supervisors to approve timesheets before they go to accounting.

Instead of printing hard copies of the timesheet, signing it with a pen, and scanning it back into the system, using an e-signature software like Acrobat Sign can simplify the process. That way, supervisors can approve timesheets with their official signature right from their computer.

Explore more about how Acrobat Sign can help you add signatures to official documents without the hassle.