A timesheet is a document used to track the time you spend on a project, a task or working for a particular client.
A timesheet can be used to bill clients, pay employees correctly, or to monitor your time usage. The timesheet can be either in physical or digital format.
The process of tracking hours is usually referred to as time tracking.
What does a timesheet look like?
The format and layout can vary a lot. It depends on what you want to track, and how you’re most comfortable doing it. You might be most comfortable working in Excel or Word, or even with pen and paper, or maybe you want an online time tracking system with more advanced functionality.
As for the layout, if you’re charging clients by the hour, you simply use a timesheet to log the amount of hours you spend working. You use that as a basis to create the invoice, and you should also attach the timesheet when you send the invoice to the client.
If you have employees, you might want a timesheet that includes working hours, sick leave, vacation, overtime, lunch breaks and so on, across a week or a month.
If you’re looking to track your productivity, then the layout should include a description of the project or task, as well as an estimate of hours across the period you’re tracking.
Download a free timesheet template and get started now.
Why a timesheet matters
Invoicing
Timesheets are very important when you bill by the hour. You use them to log hours for your own sake, but also for the clients sake, so that they can see what you spent your time on. You should refer to the timesheet when you do your invoicing, and usually, you’ll send the client the timesheet along with the invoice.
Payroll for employees
Timesheets are also commonly used to log the number of hours an employee works. The specifics of the timesheet will vary depending on your needs. But knowing when and how much the employee works is crucial to be able to pay them the correct amount. It can also help you to analyse the employee’s productivity and to estimate the time you’ll need for tasks and projects in the future.
Track productivity
As mentioned, you can use it to track employee productivity and to better be able to give estimate to clients in future. However, if you’re a freelancer or a contractor, you can also use it to track your own productivity. If you’re spending a lot of time on certain tasks, you can either try to increase the speed you work at or start charging more for these services.
See also: How to create a timesheet in Excel