One of the most challenging aspects small businesses can face is reporting employee time properly. Unfortunately, this aspect of running a business can be a massive issue, especially if your company works on government contracts. However, with diligent time tracking, you can enjoy a smooth operation and save thousands of dollars each year.
So, whether the business is a food truck with only 1-2 workers or a large aerospace company like Lockheed, where thousands of employees work on defense contracts, timesheets are needed for critical tasks like creating and maintaining payroll records and client billing. Moreover, the completed templates are also useful for assessing the productivity levels within an organization.
There are a few different ways you can track time, and one of the best ways is through the use of printable timesheets.
Benefits of a Printable Timesheet
Printable timesheets offer many benefits. Perhaps the most obvious one is saving small business owners and managers a lot of time. Other benefits they bring include:
- Easier billing: Printable timesheets allow for the documentation of work, so you don’t have to spend a lot of effort on billing customers. This process is made simpler when all the billing data is collected in one place too.
- Improved communication: Timesheets help management keep track of how much work is completed by employees, which employee is doing it and the duration of these tasks. Then, they can use this information to improve communication levels significantly within the organization.
- Better budgeting: With printable timesheets, you can get transparency on how much time is spent on assignments and projects and which aspects of your company receive the most or least attention. This information can be used to focus your efforts accordingly and make better budgeting decisions in the future.
- For tracking lunch breaks: Some businesses require their employees to document their lunch breaks on their timesheets. This way, the employer can ensure that employees take advantage of their lunch break and not work through it.
- To spot trends: If managers want to identify any trends, printable timesheets can function as great tools in this regard. They offer an overview of how work is being completed and can help you spot any problem areas or potential improvements that need to be made.
How to Choose the Best Printable Timesheet Template
Now that you are aware of some of the benefits that printable timesheets offer, it’s time to choose the best printable timesheet you can use to track employee hours. Here are a few factors to consider when selecting a top-notch timesheet template.
Pay Period
The first factor to consider is the pay period. For example, do you want people to fill out a daily, weekly, bi-weekly or monthly timesheet? Depending on the needs of your company, you might want to choose a timesheet template that covers more than one pay period.
Employees
Another factor to consider is how many workers you have. If you have more than five, you might want to consider a template that can accommodate multiple employees.
Special Tracking
In addition to tracking work hours, employers may want special tracking like lunchtime, vacation time, mileage, etc. as part of their templates. Many of the simple forms won’t incorporate these aspects, so you will want a template that either has them or allows customization where they can be added.
Tasks
Another factor to consider is how many tasks you need to track. If you only need to track a few, then having employees fill out a simple timesheet will do the job. On the other hand, if multiple tasks and projects need tracking, you’ll probably need a more sophisticated timesheet template for your employees to fill out.
Software
Some timesheet templates call for you to download special software to use it. Meanwhile, if you don’t need to create anything like that, something simple like a PDF or Excel timesheet template will do the trick.
Sharing Functions
If the printable timesheets will be shared across the organization by authorized users, you will need to download a template you can use in Google Sheets or Google Docs.
Best Printable Timesheet Templates [2022]
To start the timesheet process, use employee timekeeping best practices to train personnel on why it’s so critical to fill out timesheets. Next, find that perfect printable timesheet template for your company and train personnel how to use it.
To aid you in your decision, we’ve included a short description of each template and a link to where you can find it. So check out the 12 best printable employee timesheet options for 2022 we’ve collected below.
1. Printable Daily Timesheet Template PDF
This printable PDF template by Etsy seller ‘BeautyXDrip’ is the epitome of simplicity.
The template tracks the clock in and out times and the total hours worked every day of the week, including lunch hours.
And since it is a digitally downloaded PDF file, you can use tools, such as Google Docs or your iPhone, to edit the PDF template if needed. For instance, you can customize it to start on Sunday or delete days of the week like Saturday and Sunday if no one works on weekends.
Small businesses can use this timesheet template to track hourly employees’ time worked on a daily basis. Additionally, employees can use and print the PDF format to track their gross income by multiplying their hours worked against their hourly rate.
You can download the printable daily timesheet template PDF here.
2. Printable Weekly Timesheet
This weekly timesheet by ‘ASALBIC’ can be used in Excel and as printable timesheet templates. The template is editable and can be used over and over for your employees. The sheet is used to enter ordinary hours, overtime hours, sick leave and vacation time.
Once the hours are entered, Excel will automatically calculate the total hours for each weekday and the entire weekly pay period. To complete the weekly timesheet, the employee and managers sign the printed copy with the dates.
You can find download the Excel-based Printable Weekly Timesheet Template here.
3. Printable Biweekly Timesheet PDF
Employers most often pay on a semi-monthly basis, so small businesses should get some extra mileage with this biweekly timesheet template in PDF format by Etsy seller ‘PaniaOrmond.’
The biweekly timesheet template makes tracking time easy, and the time card form includes spaces where employees can date the form, add regular hours worked, fill in their names and areas they work. They can also add the times they’ve clocked in and out for each day, including lunch times. Workers can turn in the form to their manager after the two-week period is completed.
You can download the Printable Biweekly Timesheet PDF here.
4. Printable Monthly Timesheet Template
This printable monthly timesheet template from Etsy seller ‘ProjectManagerStore’ is excellent for businesses that pay their employee’s time on a monthly basis. The template includes spaces for the employee’s name, job title, total work hours (regular and overtime), signatures and more.
Also, you can use the Excel function to tally things like regular hours, total hours and billable hours worked per project or audit any important record on a monthly basis.
The monthly timesheet is formatted to scan and print on legal size paper (8.5 X 14-inches), but it comes fully unlocked to customize the document to the format you need. You can also insert your company details and logo on the form.
You can download the Printable Monthly Employee Timesheet Template here.
5. Printable Timesheet PDF
Etsy seller ‘keiraproject’ features a simple but exceptional PDF printable weekly timesheet. The template includes all the necessary information, such as employee name and ID, clock in/out times, total hours worked, rate per hour and more. Managers can print it in PDF format for workers to fill out regular hours, OT and sick days.
Once the week is completed, the total hours in blue and the rate of pay can be used by the manager to calculate totals for payroll processing. The form is authorized for payroll once the employee and manager sign and date the form.
You can download the Printable Timesheet PDF here.
6. Printable Simple Timesheet Template
It doesn’t get much simpler than this weekly timesheet offered by Etsy seller ‘enteryourday.’ This weekly timesheet is perfect for small businesses with just a few employees or those who don’t need all the bells and whistles of a more complex form. Managers can print it out and have employees fill in their names, regular hours and pay period by hand. The seller lists two printable PDF Files, one for legal and one for letter size.
You can download Simple Timesheet Templates here.
7. Timesheet with Mileage
Employees that travel for a business are often reimbursed for their mileage. This timesheet template from Etsy seller ‘SavvyIntention’ includes a spot to track how many miles were traveled as well as the standard clock in/out times and total hours worked.
You can download the Simple Timesheet Templates here.
8. Timesheet with Overtime Hours
Sometimes businesses need to pay overtime to their workers, and this template by ‘PersonalizedToday’ makes things easier. It includes a section for employees to fill in worked hours (including regular and overtime), total hours that the office fills out and employee and office notes. Once completed and approved, the form can be given to payroll.
You can download the Timesheet with Overtime Hours here.
9. Timesheet Template for Multiple Employees
This multiple employee timesheet template by Etsy seller “enteryourday” is Microsoft Excel-based. Aspects that make Excel good for tracking multiple employees and their work information is that it can handle complex input and make automatic calculations.
You can use this template as a tool for either a monthly or weekly timesheet summary, and it can accommodate more employees than your small business will ever have. For example, you can list the total hours that full-time and part-time employees worked, and the spreadsheet will automatically split overtime hours into another column.
In addition, the template automatically calculates employees’ total monthly pay when you input the parameters indicated for the columns in red. Select the print area, and you have a printable timesheet that can be used for things like turning in timecards for payroll purposes or discussions during labor meetings.
You can download the Timesheet Template for Multiple Employees here.
10. Timesheet with Lunch
If you need a printable weekly timesheet template for tracking a weekly pay period with lunch breaks, this one by Etsy seller ‘OrganizedCandyShoppe’ is a good one. This weekly timesheet has spaces for the employees to fill out their names, time in and time out, including times for a daily lunch break, weekly totals and overtime hours. There is also a space for signatures to authorize regular hours and OT. In addition, you can customize it to add the employee’s ID number and job title if needed.
You can download the printable Weekly Employee Timesheet Template with Lunch here.
11. Printable Blank Timesheet
This blank printable employee timesheet by Etsy seller ‘PersonalizedToday’ has some pre-printed text that isn’t editable. The text is pretty generic, and a wide range of industries can use the no-frills timecard for tracking employee hours.
The timecard for the week includes spaces for the employee to fill in like their name, the weekly period, day of the week and their start and stop time. There is also a space to tally daily hours as they go. Later, total weekly hours can be tallied, and check amounts can be calculated based on the employee’s pay rate. Also, the form has a space for a check number that can be assigned by authorized personnel.
You can download the Printable Blank Timesheet here.
12. DIY Printable Timesheet Templates
The timesheet templates you can download from Etsy to track employee hours cost anywhere from a dollar to about thirty bucks. As they say, though, time is money, and many small business owners elect to either download pre-made templates to use or hire a subcontractor to do their templates, documents, etc. for them.
On the other hand, if you have the time to generate them, you can’t beat the free printable templates that come as part of Microsoft Excel. What’s really good about many of them is that they can do a lot of the labor calculations.
To get started, all you have to do is select “New” in Excel, as shown above, and search for timesheets. You can also search for the type you need (e.g., day, week, month, etc.).
Whether you’ve dabbled with the program or are new at using it, you can craft a nice digital timesheet. For instance, ClickUp has excellent step-by-step guide newbies or pros alike can use to create an Excel spreadsheet that you can access here. You don’t need much Excel experience to use it, either.
You can also create free printable timesheets workers can use for a time card in Microsoft Word or shareable Google Sheets and Google Docs.
13. Printable Timesheet with Business Logo
This monthly timesheet and straight pay calculator by Etsy seller ‘KOXLCreations’ lets you add your business logo or change column headings to whatever makes sense in your circumstances. The handy Excel spreadsheet template also auto-calculates straight pay based on an hourly rate. Customers that rated the spreadsheet said that it saved them a lot of time designing a timesheet from scratch and that it was well worth the $1.50 they paid to download it.
Entrepreneurs on the go can also have Etsy sellers like ClickPrintPrintables add your logo or do other customization that is needed to your template.
You can download the Monthly Timesheet and Straight Pay Calculator here.
14. Printable Timesheet with Projects
Employee timekeeping best practices are critical to a business, and workers completing their timecards in a timely fashion is part of the mandatory record-keeping process. So, if timesheet completion is an issue with employees who work on projects, then this powerful Excel weekly timesheet by Etsy seller ‘ExcelCostAccounting’ can help.
Its core timesheet capabilities let employees fill out tracking for projects and tasks on a daily and weekly basis. And besides tracking time and projects, the template also lets you customize aspects like adding your logo and changing input fields.
When workers fill out their time, managers can use the time card features of the spreadsheet to automatically calculate total hours worked, hours assigned to projects/jobs and hours not assigned. Employee and supervisor signatures state that the time card is correct, and you can then submit the form to payroll.
You can download the Printable Time Sheet with Projects here.
So, there you have it, different types of printable timesheets available to find the one that fits your needs! This list is not exhaustive, so be sure you check out Etsy’s collection, which has more templates to choose from. Just keep looking there and at other places online until you find one that will track time and other factors the way you want.
And whether you go the free printable DIY route or buy a pre-made template, using a printable timesheet is an excellent way to keep tabs on employee hours and pay and to manage things like payroll and billing.
Image: Depositphotos