You know those days when you open your laptop at 8 a.m. and before you know it, it’s 5:30 and your desk is coated in crumbs and sticky notes?
It happens to the best of us. 😵💫
Instead of racking your brain, wondering where the day went, save your energy with a template designed to curb this exact problem.
Time management is key to staying present during the day—and timesheet templates are the holy grail when it comes to implementing the proper strategies as efficiently as possible.
From recording the time spent at your desk to time-blocking your entire calendar, there’s a timesheet template for everything! The challenge is finding the one that doesn’t just align with your workflow but teaches you how to take your productivity further.
The good news is—you’ve come to the right place. 🙂
No matter your title, team, or tech stack, we’ve got the template for you. Follow along to learn what you should look for in your next timesheet template and access 10 of the best free templates on the market today. ⏱
This Article Contains:
- What is a Timesheet Template?
- What to Look for in a Timesheet Template
- 10 Free Timesheet Templates to Track Employees
- 1. ClickUp Daily Employee Timesheet Template
- 2. ClickUp Weekly Timesheet Template
- 3. ClickUp Monthly Timesheet Template
- 4. ClickUp Timesheet Approval Template
- 5. ClickUp Consultant Time Tracking Template
- 6. ClickUp Consultant Time Tracking Board View Template
- 7. ClickUp Attorney Timesheet Template
- 8. ClickUp Services Timesheet Template
- 9. Excel Employee Timesheet Template
- 10. Excel Employee Timesheet Template
- 11. Microsoft Word Employee Timesheet Template
- 12. Excel Timesheet for Payroll Template
- 13. Excel Time Log by Vertex42
- 14. Excel Bi-Weekly Timesheet with Breaks Template
- 15. Excel Timesheet (Worksheet) Template
- Types of Timesheet Templates
- How to Create a Timesheet
- How to Use Timesheets in ClickUp
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat is a Timesheet Template?
Timesheet templates are pre-built documents, forms, or tables that help teams keep track of their time spent at work, on tasks, with clients, and more. Timesheet templates vary in complexity and can be really powerful resources for streamlining time-related processes, managing schedules, and overseeing budgets.
Think of your employee timesheet template as more than a time-tracking resource, but as a way to share effective time management tips across the team.
Summarize this article for me pleaseWhat to Look for in a Timesheet Template
Your timesheet template will offer more than a simple spreadsheet with names and times running down the page. The best templates will build on your free project management software to make it even more valuable with features to bring additional context and information into every entry.
While there is a plethora of time-blocking apps to help you tighten up your time management techniques, finding a timesheet template designed with those strategies in mind is the best way to get the most bang for your buck.
Plus, your timesheet template should reflect the type of work your team does. Do you work with contractors or consultants? Does your team record billable time? Are time entries shared with and approved by management?
These are critical factors to consider before diving into your next template and will ultimately decide which template will be best for your employees.
There are so many pre-made resources floating around the web that you can afford to be picky when it comes to the non-negotiable features of your next timesheet template. Here are a few of our favorites to look for before downloading:
- Time tracking
- Labels, tags, or categories
- Custom fields
- Collaborative
- Integrations
The sky is the limit, though! Looking for any (or all) of these five features will guide you to a solid timesheet template, but before you take to the web, start here! We’ve already done the work to bring you some of the best free employee timesheet templates for any team.
Summarize this article for me please10 Free Timesheet Templates to Track Employees
Time management strategies are a great way to stay on top of your productivity and ensure you’re allocating your personal resources in the most efficient way.
But the best strategy? Starting with a template to guide your next steps.
Start saving time ASAP with this curated list of the 10 best free timesheet templates for ClickUp, Excel, Word, and more!
1. ClickUp Daily Employee Timesheet Template
A daily timesheet is a document to record the hours worked by an employee during each shift or day.
The process for approving daily timesheets can vary from business to business. It typically involves a manager reviewing the hours logged by each employee and verifying everything’s accurate.
If there are multiple employees who report to a single manager then, approving daily timesheets is a tedious task! ⌛️
The ClickUp Daily Timesheet Template makes it easy for employees and managers to stay consistent with tracking time! It’s packed with features to centralize the process so your Human Resources and Accounting departments can view the digital trail when they need to. Here’s how it works:
- The employee completes the ClickUp Form with the required information and then submits it for review
- Their Form submission routes to a List (also included in the template!) and becomes a task
- From there, you can view all form submissions and approve or comment on the task to resolve any issues
With ClickUp, you’ll have peace of mind knowing records are accurate and traceable!
2. ClickUp Weekly Timesheet Template
A weekly timesheet is a document to record the hours worked by an employee on a weekly basis.
It typically includes columns for the day of the week, the hours worked, and any additional notes about the day’s activities. The timesheet should be completed by the employee at the end of each week and submitted to their manager or supervisor for review.
The ClickUp Weekly Timesheet Template summarizes the hourly rate, total hours, total pay, signature, and approver per person on a weekly view. You can also edit the details if corrections need to be made by clicking on a specific field.
If you edit the Total Hours or the Hourly Rate, the Total Pay will automatically compute based on your entered data. 🤖
ADVANCED PERMISSIONS IN CLICKUP
Pro tip: Permissions and access can be a delicate situation for businesses managing employee timesheets. Simply go into the settings of any ClickUp view and customize Sharing & Permissions to prevent unwanted changes!
3. ClickUp Monthly Timesheet Template
A monthly timesheet is a document to record the hours worked by an employee on a monthly basis. The ClickUp Monthly Timesheet Template is the same as the Weekly Timesheet view, but the details are organized by month.
Monthly timesheets also allow managers to easily plan ahead and create more accurate estimates on upcoming projects by providing them with a better understanding of employee availability and resource utilization.
They are also useful when planning vacation requests since they can help managers assess which employees may need additional coverage during periods of high demand. Or when someone is taking leave from work! 🏝
Learn how to use time tracking to finish projects faster!
4. ClickUp Timesheet Approval Template
Timesheet approval is a process for employers to approve or reject the submitted timesheets of their employees or contractors. The ClickUp Timesheet Approval Template in Board view gives you a different perspective to keep track of your team’s time and group submissions by status.
Statuses in this template include:
- To Review
- Reviewing
- Needs Attention
- Approved
With ClickUp’s Board view, it’s easier to visualize your workflow. And with a simple drag-and-drop action to move a submission from one status to the next, you’ll work through your submissions in less time and with complete accuracy. ⚡️
ACCESS CLICKUP ANYWHERE
Pro tip: You want employees to get paid on time and having access to approve them anywhere is crucial. ClickUp’s Board view is accessible on the ClickUp mobile app, so you can approve time-sensitive submissions on the go!
5. ClickUp Consultant Time Tracking Template
Consultants typically keep track of their time by using software that allows them to record client meetings, billing hours, and project milestones.
The ClickUp Consultant Time Tracking Template provides examples of meetings and tasks related to a consultant’s time spent with a company. Add your consultants to your ClickUp Workspace so they can track their time directly within the task in real-time, or manually add time entries.
To maximize the value of this template, use ClickUp’s Custom Fields to indicate the estimated cost of a task and the amount payable to the consultant. These are computed with the following formulas:
- Time Estimate x Hourly Rate = Estimated Cost
- Time Tracked x Hourly Rate = Amount Payable
You can even integrate ClickUp with your favorite time-tracking apps—Toggl, Hubstaff, Everhour, Harvest, and more!
6. ClickUp Consultant Time Tracking Board View Template
Create a Board view within ClickUp’s Consultant Time Tracking Template to group your consultant’s tasks and meetings by status, due date, or any Custom Field of your choice!
Having this information at hand allows you or your consultant to adjust schedules accordingly if something is taking longer than expected or if certain tasks could be delegated more effectively.
A powerful productivity platform like ClickUp is invaluable for consultants, enabling them to easily coordinate simple to complex projects. This template helps streamline the process of communication and collaboration between team members and stakeholders, ensuring all parties are up-to-date!
Check out the best time-tracking tools!
7. ClickUp Attorney Timesheet Template
An attorney’s bill typically consists of a combination of both fees and expenses related to the attorney’s work:
- Fees are generally charged for the services an attorney provides, such as advice and other legal representation
- Expenses are costs incurred by the attorney while representing their clients, such as filing fees, photocopying costs, court reporter fees, fees associated with obtaining documents, or travel
The ClickUp Attorney Timesheet Template folder includes weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly timesheets so an attorney is not burdened with administrative setup for every task or activity. 🧑💻
Additionally, ClickUp offers the flexibility to customize your billing structure depending on the specific needs and requirements of each client!
8. ClickUp Services Timesheet Template
Services timesheets are essential for managing employees’ task-specific time investment. These timesheets ensure responsible time allocation, maintain training effectiveness, and help managers track employee hours.
The ClickUp Services Timesheet Template helps you meticulously monitor time, costs, and resources dedicated to each service offered.
It allows you to:
- Easily track total hours worked and billable hours in a single, accessible location
- Track resource allocation across various projects
- Distribute resources among projects and services
9. Excel Employee Timesheet Template
Employee timesheet templates in Microsoft Excel are done-for-you tools to report regular and overtime hours worked. While this may not be ideal for mid-size companies to enterprises, independent contractors and freelancers can use this simple template to complete it at the end of the work week.
If you’re looking to make the time-tracking process easier, a traditional spreadsheet in Excel might be a time waster. Try a timesheet template in ClickUp to improve your productivity!
10. Excel Employee Timesheet Template
For a weekly, monthly, and even yearly timecard, this employee timesheet in Excel can calculate hours in just a few clicks. You can customize the look and feel of this Excel spreadsheet and adjust the columns to reflect daily hours or pay periods applicable to your employee or contractor.
Using this template for payroll processing might become burdensome. To avoid this, guide your team on best practices and stick with accurate time tracking. This could involve providing additional training or resources so they have a better understanding of how the system works, as well as providing feedback on their efforts in order to keep them motivated.
11. Microsoft Word Employee Timesheet Template
The daily timesheet template in Word helps employees and contractors track billable hours. Anyone can download, customize, and export as a PDF to get approval signatures.
This template is organized into five sections so you can maintain consistency for payroll processing:
- Pay period
- Company information
- Name and contact information
- Time card (covers 7-days)
- Employee and manager signatures
Pro tip: Paper timesheets are not the most reliable in a remote workforce. Consider using employee time tracking software for a proper digital trail and frictionless experience!
12. Excel Timesheet for Payroll Template
This Excel Timesheet for Payroll Template is an easy-to-use timesheet designed for use in Microsoft Excel.
Assign a timesheet to each employee, and have them fill out the time in and time out each day. Make sure they document their lunch breaks. Enter formulas in the mini payroll calculator to have it generate the total number of hours worked per week automatically.
Use the payroll sheet template to generate weekly, biweekly, or monthly payments to each employee.
This template is best for small businesses that outsource their work to contractors. Because it’s just a timesheet and not part of a larger project management tool, it may be too simple for organizations with numerous departments and many salaried employees.
13. Excel Time Log by Vertex42
This Excel Time Log Template offers a seamless method for logging working hours. It’s designed for those who don’t need any bells or whistles, just a simple solution for basic time management and billing purposes.
Start using the template by filling out the employee section with your name, address, and other important information. Do the same for the section reserved for your customer or employer’s information. Next, input the date when you performed a particular task or service, as well as its start and end times. You can also add break intervals and input the total work duration in minutes or hours to further streamline the tracking process.
This template can also serve as an invoice generator. When you’ve finished a project or come to the end of a pay period, simply submit the filled-out log to your employer, in paper or in digital form.
14. Excel Bi-Weekly Timesheet with Breaks Template
This Excel timesheet template is sesigned to simplify time management, this template is perfect for both small businesses and large corporations. It allows you to record in/out times, calculate total work hours, and automatically deduct break times for each day of the bi-weekly period. Plus, with built-in formulas, it makes processing payroll a breeze. Stay organized, save time, and improve accuracy with our Excel biweekly timesheet template
15. Excel Timesheet (Worksheet) Template
This Excel timesheet worksheet template is designed to keep track of hours worked, breaks taken, and overtime, all in one place. With automated calculations for daily and weekly totals, it eliminates errors and saves valuable time. This template also allows customization to suit your unique business needs. Ideal for businesses of all sizes, this template is the perfect tool to streamline your payroll process and enhance productivity
Summarize this article for me pleaseTypes of Timesheet Templates
Different businesses have different needs, from tracking hourly employee work to project-specific timings, to client-specific timings for consultants. Therefore, timesheet templates come in many types according to particular needs and the nature of work. Here are several types of timesheet templates:
- Daily Timesheet Templates: As the name suggests, these templates let users log their day-to-day work hours and activities. They are useful for finding inefficiencies in productivity and fine-tuning work patterns to increase efficiency.
- Weekly Timesheet Templates: These offer a more holistic overview of work completed in a given week. Team members can log their everyday tasks and compile them into one cohesive timesheet. This can help managers with weekly work analysis and journey mapping.
- Monthly Timesheet Templates: Monthly timesheet templates allow you to have an in-depth view of tasks completed throughout the month. It’s beneficial for team leaders and project managers to understand the workload, project progress, and time allocation of the entire team during a month.
- Project Specific Timesheet Templates: These templates focus on individual projects, breaking down the time allocation for each task in the project. Both project managers and team members can use such templates to track project timelines, cost management, workforce management, and overall project progress.
- Client-Specific Timesheet Templates: Consultants and freelancers often use client-specific timesheet templates to track their working hours for each client. This type of template is useful for accurately billing clients and keeping track of hours worked on each project per client.
- Employee Timesheet Templates: These templates are used for tracking each employee’s work hours, including overtime and sick leave. It is beneficial for HR purposes, such as payroll and absence management.
- Contractor Timesheet Templates: Contractor timesheet templates are generally used by external workers or freelancers to log their hours for their clients or the organizations they are contracted to. Such templates make it easier to oversee the work carried out by contractors and to ensure accurate payment.
- Task-Focused Timesheet Templates: Rather than concentrating solely on the hours worked, these timesheets focus on the tasks completed within those hours. They provide a more detailed look at productivity and can reveal areas for improvement.
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Create a Timesheet
- Decide on the Format: Choose whether you want a generic weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or project-based timesheet template.
- Define Categories: Include categories on the timesheet such as dates, tasks, start and end times, and total hours worked.
- Add Special Sections: Don’t forget to include sections for breaks, overtime, and vacation or sick days.
- Automate Calculations: If you’re using a digital tool, set up automatic calculations for hours worked and overtime.
- Assign Ownership: Make it clear who is responsible for filling out and submitting the timesheet.
- Review: Test your timesheet to ensure it’s easy to fill out and fulfills all your requirements.
- Train Your Team: Brief your team on how to use the timesheet accurately.
- Implement: Roll out the timesheet for use, and make sure there’s a clear process for time tracking, submission, and approval.
- Monitor: Keep track of how well the timesheet is working and tweak as needed.
- Optimize: Regularly review and update your timesheet according to feedback or changing needs.
Summarize this article for me pleaseHow to Use Timesheets in ClickUp
Managing work hours effectively is crucial to ensure productivity and avoid needless overtimes. Using an easily accessible tool like ClickUp for creating timesheets helps streamline this process tremendously. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create a timesheet in ClickUp, helping you keep track of your team’s time efficiently.
- Start by clicking on ‘More’ in your Sidebar.
- Select ‘Timesheets’.
- (Optional) Click the pin icon next to ‘Timesheets’ to keep it handy in your Sidebar.
- Use the ‘Timesheets’ page header to customize your timesheet as needed.
- Go to ‘My Timesheet’ tab, and click the ‘Settings’ icon to modify your timesheet.
- Set your weekly or daily capacity by selecting ‘My Capacity’.
- You can edit the date range to specify the period you want your timesheet to cover.
- Filter your timesheet based on ‘Billing’, ‘Tag’, or ‘Tracked time’ options.
- Organize how your timesheet is displayed using the ‘By Task’ or ‘All entries’ tabs.
- Utilize the view tabs on the upper-right part of the screen to display your timesheet in terms of tasks or individual time entries.
Summarize this article for me pleaseStart Managing Employees with Timesheet Templates
While each of these templates shares a few key features and will get your team’s time back on track, not all timesheet templates pack the same punch, and some are guaranteed to take your time management strategies even further. Which templates, you ask?
The ones attached to a dynamic productivity platform are strong enough to centralize all of your work across apps into one collaborative hub.
AKA, ClickUp. 🙂
With over 15 unique views, a rich set of time-tracking features, and hundreds of templates for every use case, ClickUp is the ultimate solution for saving time and staying intentional with every second of your day.
Even on its Free Forever Plan, ClickUp is loaded with every feature tool needed to take your productivity to new heights and integrates with over 1,000 other work tools to streamline your processes even further.
Sign up for ClickUp today and start saving time in no time. ✅
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
