Timesheet template
Track hours worked over a pay period in one clean sheet.
A timesheet template records the hours an employee or contractor worked in a pay period so payroll can pay them correctly. Employers in Canada and the US are required to keep accurate hours records, and this sheet is the simplest way to collect them from the worker and get them approved.
Opens a fillable version in your browser. Free, no account, nothing uploaded.
Fields in this form
- Employee or contractor name
- Manager or client
- Pay period start
- Pay period end
- Daily hours breakdown
- Total hours
- Notes
- Employee signature
- Approved by
About the timesheet
A timesheet records the hours an employee or contractor works over a set period. It usually lists the dates, start and end times, and total hours.
This fillable template gives you a tidy layout to complete on screen and download as a PDF for payroll or your own records.
When you need it
- You pay staff or contractors by the hour.
- You need a record of hours for a pay period.
- A client asks for a breakdown of time spent.
Where it stands legally
Canada: provincial employment standards laws require employers to keep records of hours worked for each employee, usually for several years, and to pay overtime after a daily or weekly threshold that varies by province. A signed timesheet is the record; the law does not prescribe the format.
United States: the Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to keep accurate records of hours worked for non-exempt employees and to pay overtime after 40 hours in a workweek (some states add daily overtime). Again, no form is prescribed.
Contractors are different. They usually bill by invoice, and a timesheet is supporting detail for the invoice rather than a payroll record. If you are putting a contractor on an employee-style timesheet with set shifts, look at the contractor status question on the independent contractor page.
Unpaid meal breaks are generally excluded from hours worked; short paid rest breaks are usually included. Rules differ by province and state, so match your timesheet instructions to the rule where you operate.
General information, not legal advice. Rules differ by province, state and city, and they change. Confirm the current rule where the document will be used.
What each field means and how to fill it
| Field | What it means | How to fill it |
|---|---|---|
| Employee or contractor name | Whose hours these are. | As on payroll. |
| Manager or client | Who approves the hours. | The person who signs off. |
| Pay period start and end | The period this sheet covers. | Match your payroll calendar (weekly, biweekly, semi-monthly). |
| Daily hours breakdown | Each day worked with start, end, unpaid break and total. | One line per day: Mon 8:00 to 16:30, 30 min unpaid break, 8.0 h. Note overtime hours separately. |
| Total hours | Sum for the period. | Split regular and overtime if the pay rate differs. |
| Notes | Anything payroll should know. | Statutory holidays, sick days, vacation, project codes, or a correction to a previous sheet. |
| Employee signature | The worker confirms the hours are accurate. | Sign and date before submitting. |
| Approved by | Manager or client sign-off. | Sign and date. Payroll should not process an unapproved sheet. |
How to fill this out
- 1Enter the employee or contractor's name and who they report to or bill, like a manager or client.
- 2Set the pay period start and end dates that this sheet covers.
- 3Fill in the daily hours breakdown, listing each day worked with start and end times, unpaid breaks, and the hours for that day.
- 4Add up the total hours for the period, split regular and overtime, and note anything relevant, like a holiday or a day off.
- 5Have the worker sign, then get sign-off from a manager or client before it goes to payroll.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Rounding hours inconsistently from day to day, which can make the total hard to verify later.
- Leaving out unpaid breaks, when policy requires them to be excluded from paid or billable hours.
- Forgetting to get an approval signature before submitting the sheet for payroll.
- Mixing regular and overtime hours together instead of noting them separately.
- Submitting the timesheet after the payroll cutoff, which can delay payment to the next cycle.
- Employers discarding timesheets after payroll runs, when the law requires the records to be kept for years.
What makes it work, and when you need more
Usually fine with this template
- Hourly employees in small businesses without a time clock system.
- Contractors and freelancers who bill by the hour and attach hours to an invoice.
- Project or grant work where hours must be tracked by activity.
Use the official form or get advice
- Disputes about unpaid overtime or misclassified salaried staff. Check the employment standards rules for your province or state.
- Averaging agreements or compressed work weeks, which need specific approvals in some provinces.
- Workers in regulated sectors (transport, health care) with their own hours rules.
Worked example (illustrative)
Made-up names and figures to show what a completed timesheet looks like. Not a real transaction.
| Timesheet, illustrative (biweekly) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Elena Petrova, reports to S. Grant |
| Pay period | October 5 to October 18, 2026 |
| Week 1 | Mon to Fri 8:00 to 16:30 with 30 min unpaid break, 8.0 h each; Sat 9:00 to 13:00, 4.0 h. Total 44.0 h. |
| Week 2 | Mon to Thu 8:00 to 16:30, 8.0 h each; Fri statutory holiday. Total 32.0 h. |
| Total hours | 76.0 h: 72.0 regular, 4.0 overtime (week 1 hours over the weekly threshold where she works) |
| Notes | Friday of week 2 was a statutory holiday; paid per policy. |
| Signatures | Employee signed October 18; approved by S. Grant October 19 |
The overtime split depends on the daily or weekly threshold where the employee works. Check your province or state.
Related official forms, tools and guides
- How to fill out a timesheet
- Invoice template: contractors attach hours to an invoice
- Direct deposit form: set up how the hours get paid
- Employment verification letter
- Independent contractor agreement: if the worker is a contractor
- HR PDF tools
Frequently asked questions
What should a timesheet include?
The worker's name, the pay period, a breakdown of hours by day with breaks, the total hours split into regular and overtime, and space for the worker and an approver to sign.
Can contractors use this too?
Yes. Contractors can use the same sheet to show hours worked for a client and attach it to their invoice.
Does it need to be signed?
A signature from the worker and an approver confirms the hours are correct before payroll runs, and it is the record an employer keeps for employment standards purposes.
How should overtime be recorded?
Separately from regular hours, so payroll can apply the right rate. Overtime thresholds vary by province and state and by employment type.
Can I track multiple projects on one timesheet?
Yes. Use the daily breakdown or notes field to split hours by project or code.
How long should employers keep timesheets?
Employment standards laws require hours records to be kept for a set number of years, which varies by province and state. Keep them at least that long.
Sources checked
- US Department of Labor, Overtime pay (FLSA) (over 40 hours in a workweek, at least time and one-half)
Checked 2026-09-19. This page is general information and not legal, tax or financial advice.