At first glance, filling out a timesheet might seem like a small, routine task. But timesheets play a much bigger role than most people realize.
For many employees, timesheets feel tedious, confusing, or even unnecessary. Industry statistics show that businesses lose up to 7% of gross payroll due to time-tracking problems such as manual timesheet entry, misreported hours, or even time theft.
If you’re picking tools, start with our guide to the best time-tracking software and this list of time management tools to keep your hours clean.
In this article, we’ll break down how to fill out a timesheet the right way, step by step, through a practical employee timesheet example.
Key Takeaways:
- Businesses lose up to 7% of gross payroll due to time-tracking issues including manual timesheet entry, misreported hours, and time theft.
- The article outlines a systematic approach your timesheets with accuracy and completeness.
- Fill out timesheets daily rather than waiting until the end of the week. Delayed entry leads to forgotten hours, mixed-up details, and increased errors.
- Digital timesheet systems eliminate common manual errors through automated calculations, built-in error checks, and clear digital records.
- Key mistakes while filling timesheets include excessive rounding (logging “8 hours” when you worked 7.5), forgetting to subtract breaks, misclassifying regular vs. overtime hours, math errors, illegible handwriting, and late submissions that can delay payroll processing.
- Advanced time tracking tools can detect and prevent various forms of time theft, including “coffee badging” (briefly showing up at the office just to be seen), buddy punching, and excessive breaks.
What Is a Timesheet and Why Should Employees Care?
A timesheet is a record of the time you worked over a given period. But timesheets aren’t just about preventing errors. They’re a fundamental tool for accurate time tracking, ensuring that every hour worked is properly recorded. This data fuels:
- Payroll accuracy: Employees get paid fairly and on time.
- Billing precision: Clients are charged for the exact work completed.
- Compliance assurance: Businesses stay aligned with labor laws and regulations.
Timesheets ensure employees are paid correctly for all hours worked and any overtime due. In fact, U.S. labor law (the FLSA) requires accurate time records for all hourly (non-exempt) employees.
For employees, it means accurate pay and proof of overtime; for employers, it’s the backbone of payroll, billing, compliance, and productivity analysis.
And if you’re using a digital timesheet, things get even better. You deal with fewer errors, approvals move faster, and you get real-time visibility into your hours.
For a deeper dive on tools that support accurate records, see our employee productivity trackers roundup.
What Types of Timesheets Do Teams Use?
You can look at timesheets in two ways. By the time period you track or by the format you use.
By Time Period:
- Daily timesheets: You record each workday in detail. These are often used by freelancers or hourly workers who need to show exactly what they did each day.
- Weekly timesheets: The most common format. You log your hours for each day of the week and submit it at the end of the week for payroll.
- Bi-weekly timesheets: These cover a two-week period. If you get paid every two weeks, this format matches your pay cycle.
- Monthly timesheets: One sheet for the entire month. This is common for salaried roles where tracking every day is not as critical.
- Project-based timesheets: Instead of focusing on days, you record hours spent on projects or clients. Perfect for contractors and consultants who bill by project.
Agencies and consultants can compare options in our agency time-tracking software guide, and niche roles can check time-tracking for architects or tools for virtual assistants.
By Format:
- Manual timesheets: These are paper sheets or booklets where you write down your hours by hand. They are simple but often lead to mistakes and delays.
- Digital timesheets: These are spreadsheets or apps that track your hours online. They are faster, more accurate, and often come with features that save you time.
If your team lives in Microsoft 365, here’s how Microsoft Teams time tracking works in practice.
Timesheets vs Timecards
You might hear Timesheets and Timecards used interchangeably, but there’s a slight difference.
A timecard is usually linked to clocking in and out. It records when your shift starts and ends. Timesheets go further. They show total hours, tasks, projects, and sometimes notes.
Today, many digital systems do both. So even if your company says “submit your timecard,” you are most likely filling in a digital timesheet.
How To Fill Out a Timesheet Correctly? A Simple 7 Step Guide
Filling out a timesheet for work is pretty easy. This employee timesheet example will be similar for daily or monthly ones, just with different date ranges. Follow these steps to complete a timesheet for work accurately:
Step 1: Enter your details
Start with the basics. Add your full name, ID, and department so your hours get credited to you. Include the pay period or date range, like “Week of Oct 1–7, 2025.”
In software, you can usually select these from a dropdown. On paper, print clearly in block letters.
Quick tip: Save these fields as a default in your tool to avoid retyping.
Step 2: Add the dates
Enter the dates your sheet covers. Daily sheets show one date, a weekly list for each day, and biweekly or monthly sheets show a start and end date.
Use the right format, like MM/DD/YYYY. Check your calendar for holidays or missed days.
Quick tip: Match your week start with the company policy so nothing is skipped.
Step 3: Add project or task details
If your sheet has project or client fields, log hours by task. Keep labels short, like “Client A, design” or “Project Beta, coding.”
This helps with billing and protects you if questions come up.
Quick tip: Reuse a set list of task labels to keep reports consistent.
Step 4: Log times and breaks
Write your start and end times in one format, like 09:00 to 17:00. Record breaks too.
For example: Start 9:00, Lunch 13:00–13:30, End 17:00 = 7.5 hours.
Use leave codes for sick or vacation days instead of leaving blanks. Fill your time daily to avoid mistakes.
Quick tip: Use 24-hour time to prevent AM and PM mix-ups.
Step 5: Total your hours
Add your daily hours to get the total. Digital sheets can do it easily for you.
On paper, check your math. Separate regular and overtime if needed. Compare with a normal week to spot missing entries.
Quick tip: If totals look odd, double-check against your usual schedule.
Step 6: Add notes
Use notes for anything unusual, like “Wed, 2 hrs WFH approved.” Keep it short and clear. Add approver names or codes if required.
Quick tip: Start notes with the date so they’re easy to read later.
Step 7: Review and submit for approval
Check dates, hours, and totals one last time. Sign or click submit before the deadline. Save a copy or export a PDF so you have proof if questions come up later.
Tools like Flowace flags anomalies, prompts for missing entries, and help you complete a timesheet for work without last-minute guesswork.
Quick tip: Set a weekly reminder to submit on time.
| Date | Day | Project / Task | Time In | Time Out | Break (hh:mm) | Regular Hours | Overtime Hours | Code (PTO/SL/H) | Notes |
| Totals | 0.0 | 0.0 |
What Are the Most Common Mistakes to Avoid while Filling Timesheets?
Here are some of the common pitfalls you need to avoid while filling out timesheets:
Waiting till Friday:
If you wait until the end of the week or month to fill your timesheet, you will forget hours or mix things up.
The solution is simple: fill it out daily or jot hours in a notepad or app as you go. The later you record, the more errors creep in.
Rounding too much
Slight rounding is fine, but don’t log “8 hours” every day if you actually worked 7.7 or 7.5. Over time, that adds up to false records.
Be precise. If you worked 7 hours 45 minutes, write 7.75. Many tools convert minutes to decimals for you. Remember: 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 minutes = 0.5, 45 minutes = 0.75.
Forgetting breaks or time off
A common mistake is writing 9–5 and forgetting a 30-minute lunch. That inflates your hours. Or skipping PTO entries and leaving blanks.
Always subtract breaks and mark leave with the right code, like PTO or SL. This keeps your pay and balances accurate.
Misclassifying hours
Putting hours in the wrong bucket can mess up payroll. For example, 40 regular hours plus 4 overtime should not be entered as 44 regular.
If you worked on a holiday, log it as holiday pay, not regular. Learn the categories or ask HR before you submit.
Math errors and messy writing
Manual sheets are prone to mistakes. Totals may not add up, or poor handwriting can turn a 7 into a 9. Double-check your math with a calculator and write clearly.
If you make a mistake, strike through once and rewrite, or start a new sheet if it looks messy.
Late submission
Turning in your sheet late can delay your pay. Some companies won’t process payroll without it. Treat deadlines seriously. Set reminders and respond to timesheet notices right away.
If you know you’ll miss a deadline, let your manager know and send your hours as soon as possible.
Filling in advance without changes
Pre-filling a full week may save time, but if your schedule changes, you risk false records. For example, you log 8 hours each day but forget to adjust when you take a day off. It’s better to fill days after you work them.
If you must pre-fill, mark planned time off and update later.
What Are the Best Practices for Timesheet Accuracy?
- Fill it out regularly (daily, if possible): Don’t wait until the end of the week to guess your hours. Take two minutes each day to log them while fresh. If daily isn’t possible, jot them in a notepad or app and transfer later.
- Use reminders and calendar blocks: Use calendar blocks or phone alerts, like “3:50 PM – fill timesheet.” Treat it like any other meeting. If your company doesn’t send nudges, create your own.
- Double-check before submission: Look over your entries like you would proofread an exam. Check names, dates, hours, breaks, and totals. A quick review can save you from payroll errors.
- Know your company’s policies: Learn your company’s policies on rounding, overtime, breaks, and corrections. If something is unclear, ask HR or your manager. Better to ask than resubmit later.
- Be consistent and honest: Always log your actual hours. Padding time may seem tempting, but it can damage trust and even risk your job. Honest records protect you and your company.
- Keep personal backups: Always log your actual hours. Padding time may seem tempting, but it can damage trust and even risk your job. Honest records protect you and your company.
- Use digital tools: If your company offers timesheet software, use it. Features like auto-tracking, timers, and calendar sync reduce errors and make the process easier.
Paper Timesheets vs. Digital Timesheets: Why Go Digital?
If you’re still filling out a paper timesheet or an Excel sheet manually, you might wonder what the big fuss is about online timesheet software
From a personal angle, I think paper timesheets feel like a chore. They get lost, take extra time to fill, and often lead to mistakes.
Here’s a quick comparison and why most organizations encourage moving to digital timesheets:
Manual paper timesheets – the drawbacks
Paper may feel simple, but it brings a lot of problems. It’s easy to make mistakes or write something unreadable. One wrong number can throw off payroll.
Paper sheets can also get lost, damaged, or stuck waiting to be delivered. HR then has to re-enter the data, which doubles the work and increases errors.
There’s no real-time view either. Managers only see missing hours after papers are handed in, which often causes delays.
Digital timesheets – the benefits
Digital tools fix most of these issues. Calculations are automatic, so no more math mistakes. Entries are clear, quick to submit, and can go straight to managers for approval.
You also get real-time tracking. A manager can see mid-week who hasn’t logged hours yet and send a reminder.
Built-in checks prevent errors like logging 25 hours in one day. In fact, automated timesheets cut timesheet errors by up to 80%.
Less time and more accuracy
HR saves hours every payroll period by moving away from paper. For you, it’s easier too. A few clicks or an automated reminder is all it takes.
Digital tools also capture work you might forget, like a late-night task. That accuracy keeps payroll costs in check and makes sure your overtime and breaks are logged the right way.
Integration and automation
Modern timesheet apps connect with payroll or project management tools. Your hours flow in automatically, with fewer errors. Some even link with your calendar or send you reminders. When the process is this simple, you’re more likely to stay on top of it.
Less fraud and time theft
Digital systems can also reduce time theft. Features like GPS, login checks, or activity tracking make it harder to fudge hours or clock in for someone else.
These safeguards protect your company and keep reporting fair for everyone.
Better records and audit readiness
Storing paper files is a headache. Digital records are secure, searchable, and easy to pull up when needed. Most systems also keep an audit trail, showing every edit, submission, and approval.
That means fewer disputes and stronger proof if questions ever come up.
| Aspect | Paper Timesheets | Digital Timesheets |
| Ease of Use | Manual writing, often feels like a chore. | Quick entry with clicks, timers, or reminders. |
| Accuracy | Prone to math errors, illegible writing, and missed entries. | Auto-calculations, built-in error checks, and clear digital records. |
| Data Security | Can be lost, damaged, or misplaced. | Secure cloud storage with backups and easy retrieval. |
| Submission | Must be handed in or scanned, causing delays. | Instant submission and routing to managers for approval. |
| Visibility | No real-time view; managers see gaps only after collection. | Real-time tracking lets managers spot missing hours mid-week. |
| Admin Workload | HR re-enters data, doubling effort and risk of mistakes. | Direct integration with payroll and project tools, reducing manual work. |
| Compliance & Audits | Hard to organize and retrieve old records. | Easy search, audit trails, and detailed logs of edits and approvals. |
| Fraud & Time Theft | Easier to falsify hours or use “buddy punching.” | Features like GPS, login checks, and activity logs reduce fraud. |
| Employee Experience | Time-consuming, feels outdated. | Simple, faster, and less hassle with reminders and automation. |
| Productivity Impact | Wastes time on admin tasks; managers chase missing sheets. | Saves hours each payroll cycle, boosts accuracy, and lets teams focus on real work. |
In short, digital timesheets are faster, cleaner, and more accurate.
Now, having established the advantages of going digital, let’s talk about one such solution – Flowace.
Why Timesheets Feel Effortless with Flowace?
Flowace is an AI-powered time tracking software designed to automate and enhance timesheet filling and employee productivity tracking.
Unlike traditional manual methods, Flowace essentially creates “smart timesheets” for you by automatically logging work activity. Here are some key ways Flowace can transform your timesheet process:
- Hands-free automated tracking: You work, and Flowace records your active time in the background on apps, files, meetings, and sites. You get a precise daily timeline without starting or stopping timers.
- Smart timesheet generation: We turn your activity into clean daily and weekly totals that you can tag to projects and submit fast. This cuts missed hours and makes your timesheets audit-ready.
- Productivity insights built in: You see active time, idle time, focus hours, and context switching, with tools marked as productive, neutral, or unproductive by role. Managers spot long projects and after-hours work so they can balance workloads.
- Easy approvals and sharing: Managers review, approve, or comment from one dashboard with a full audit trail. You can export to PDF or Excel and send to payroll or clients when needed.
- Integrations with payroll and tools: Approved hours sync to systems like QuickBooks, ADP, Jira, and Asana. You avoid manual entry and keep billing and budgets accurate.
- Works for office and remote teams: Desktop and mobile apps capture time anywhere and offline sync later. However you work, your time gets recorded.
Remote or hybrid? See our guide to work from home monitoring that balances trust and visibility.
Real-world result
One Flowace client, a mid-sized IT consulting firm switched from manual Excel timesheets to Flowace’s automated tracking. Employees installed the app, Flowace captured work in the background, and weekly timesheets were ready for quick online review.
The result?
Errors and missing hours dropped to near zero, on-time submissions rose from about 70% to 100%, and payroll moved faster without manual consolidation. The HR manager reported saving about 10 hours of admin time each week and gaining real-time visibility into overwork and missed logoffs, turning timesheets into an accurate, audit-ready system
This shift shows how Flowace turns timesheets into a tool for smarter work. If you are looking to free your team from the weekly “timesheet scramble,” Flowace’s Smart Timesheets might just be the solution you are looking for.
Comparing vendors? See how Flowace stacks up in Hubstaff vs Time Doctor and Time Doctor vs Clockify, plus a clear Time Doctor pricing breakdown.
Final Thoughts
Filling out a timesheet is a routine that, done regularly, only takes a few minutes a day. But it can still sap your energy.
Fortunately, we live in an age where you don’t have to do it all by hand. Digital timesheet solutions like Flowace are available to offload much of this burden.
So the next time you’re about to groan at a timesheet reminder, take a deep breath. Flowace can turn the tedious act of filling out a timesheet into an automated, intelligent process.
Interested in exploring Flowace further? You can try a 7-day free trial of Flowace and experience how automated time tracking can improve your workflow.
FAQs:
Q: What is a timesheet and why is it important?
A: A timesheet is a record of the hours you worked, including start/end times and breaks. It ensures accurate pay, supports payroll compliance, and helps with client billing and productivity tracking.
Q: What information should be included in a timesheet?
A: A timesheet should have your name, date range, daily hours (with breaks), total hours, and, if needed, project details or notes, plus a manager’s approval.
Q: How do you fill out a timesheet correctly?
A: Record your daily work hours (minus breaks), assign them to projects if required, total them up, add any notes, double-check for accuracy, and submit on time.
Q: What are common mistakes when filling out timesheets?
A: Mistakes include forgetting hours, miscalculating totals, skipping breaks, submitting late, or making errors from sloppy entries. Filling out daily and using digital tools helps avoid these.
Q: How can digital tools simplify timesheet management for employees and managers?
A: Digital tools automate tracking, cut down errors, send reminders, speed up approvals, and integrate with payroll, making timesheets faster, more accurate, and less stressful for everyone.
