Key takeaways
- Capture employee, date, project or task code, hours and hour type on every line.
- Separate normal, overtime and non-billable hours instead of one total.
- Use the same task codes as the project plan so hours can be compared to the estimate.
- Require an approver signature and date — unapproved hours are not evidence.
- Keep signed timesheets with the payroll record for the retention period that applies where you operate.
Fields a timesheet needs
| Field | Why it matters | Failure if omitted |
|---|---|---|
| Employee name and ID | Links hours to the payroll record | Duplicate names cannot be resolved |
| Period covered | Defines the pay or billing cycle | Days counted twice across cycles |
| Date per line | Supports daily overtime and attendance rules | Weekly totals only, unverifiable |
| Project / task code | Enables billing and plan comparison | Hours cannot be recharged |
| Hour type | Normal, overtime, weekend, holiday, non-billable | Overtime paid at the wrong rate |
| Hours | The quantity billed or paid | Rounded guesses |
| Notes | Explains variances and site conditions | Disputes with no context |
| Employee and approver signature | Makes the record defensible | Client rejects the backup |
Overtime, weekends and rate handling
Overtime rules are statutory and country-specific in the GCC, and they usually depend on hour type and on when the work happened rather than on a single multiplier. Design the sheet to record the facts — date, start and end time, hour type — and apply rates in payroll, not in the sheet.
- Record start and end times, not just a total, where overtime is paid.
- Flag rest-day and public-holiday work as its own hour type.
- Keep travel and standby time as separate types if you pay them differently.
- Do not net overtime against undertime unless your policy expressly allows it.
- Confirm current statutory rates and limits with the relevant labour authority; a template cannot decide compliance for you.
Where wage protection rules apply, the paid amount must match the payroll record. Keep the approved timesheet as the source document behind that figure.
Making timesheets billable
Client-billable hours need a code trail: the task on the timesheet must match the task in the plan and the line on the invoice. When those three disagree, invoices get queried and payment slips a cycle.
- Publish the project and task codes before the period starts.
- Mark each line billable or non-billable at entry, not at invoicing time.
- Approve weekly rather than monthly, while people still remember the week.
- Summarise approved hours by task, then invoice from that summary.
- Attach the approved timesheet to the invoice for time-and-materials contracts.
Approval and retention
An unapproved timesheet is a claim; an approved one is a record. Fix a single approver per team, a submission deadline and a correction route for late entries — corrections should be a new dated line with a note, not an edit over the original. Keep signed sheets with payroll and project records so hours can be reconstructed years later for an audit or a claim.
How to make a timesheet
Step 1: Set the period and codes
Choose the pay or billing period and publish the project and task codes to be used.
Step 2: Add the header fields
Include employee name and ID, department, period covered and the approver.
Step 3: Design the daily grid
One line per date and task with hour type, hours and a notes column.
Step 4: Separate hour types
Split normal, overtime, rest-day, holiday and non-billable hours.
Step 5: Total and reconcile
Total by hour type and by project, then compare against the plan estimate.
Step 6: Approve and file
Sign, have the approver sign and date, then export and file with payroll and project records.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a timesheet and an attendance sheet?
An attendance sheet records presence — in, out, absence. A timesheet allocates hours worked to projects, tasks and hour types, which is what billing and cost control need.
Should timesheets be weekly or monthly?
Enter daily, approve weekly, and roll up monthly for payroll. Weekly approval catches errors while they are still cheap to correct.
How do I bill overtime to a client?
Only where the contract permits it. Show the hour type separately on the invoice, attach the approved timesheet, and use the rate stated in the agreement rather than the payroll rate.
How long should timesheets be kept?
Keep them with the payroll and project records for the statutory retention period in your jurisdiction — several years in most GCC states. Confirm the current requirement locally.