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English Timesheet Template

Harvest offers flexible templates that track billable vs non-billable hours, helping businesses adhere to compliance while optimizing project costing.

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How much revenue is your team leaving on the table?

Most agencies run at 55-60% utilization. Even a small improvement means significant revenue. See what closing the gap looks like for your team.

Number of people who track billable time
$
Blended rate across roles (junior, senior, lead)
55%
Percentage of total hours that are billable. Industry average is 55-60%.
75%
A realistic target for service businesses is 70-80%.
Monthly revenue gap $0
Revenue at current utilization $0/mo
Revenue at target utilization $0/mo
Extra billable hours needed per person/day 0h
Annual revenue opportunity $0

Start tracking team utilization

Walk through the entire flow below. Start a timer, check your reports, and create a real invoice — all in three clicks.

Go ahead — start tracking!

One click and you're timing. Try it right here: start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Harvest.

  • One-click timer from browser, desktop & mobile
  • Works inside Jira, Asana, Trello, GitHub & 50+ tools
  • Duration or start/end — your call
  • Day, week & calendar views to stay on top of it all
  • Friendly reminders so no hour gets left behind
Acme Corp
Website Redesign
Homepage layout revisions
1:24:09
Content Strategy
Blog calendar planning
1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
Color system documentation
2:15:00
Logo Concepts
Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00
Today's total 6:54:09

Understanding the Basics of Timesheet Templates

Timesheets are essential tools used by employers to track employee hours for payroll, project costing, and compliance with labor laws. These records help ensure accurate payment and provide a historical database for future project estimations. Timesheets come in various formats, including Excel, Word, PDF, and Google Sheets, allowing for flexibility in how they are used and customized. Common elements of a standard timesheet include employee name, date ranges, hours worked, overtime hours, project/client details, and approval signatures.

In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) mandates that employers maintain accurate time and pay records for non-exempt employees. However, it does not prescribe a specific format, allowing businesses to choose from paper, spreadsheets, or software solutions. The act requires that overtime pay be calculated at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours worked beyond 40 in a week, further highlighting the importance of precise time tracking.

Legal Compliance and Essential Requirements

Compliance with federal labor laws such as the FLSA is crucial when managing timesheets. Employers must keep comprehensive records that include details such as employee identifiers, hours worked, pay rates, and overtime hours/pay. These records must be retained for at least 3 years for payroll and 2 years for wage calculation documents, like time cards. Timesheets can serve as legal documents, ensuring that payroll processes meet legal standards and providing evidence in audits or disputes.

Employers have the flexibility to select the format of their timesheets, but they must adhere to specific data requirements. For instance, recording actual start and end times, rather than scheduled times, is a best practice for accuracy. Additionally, while federal law does not require meal or rest breaks, any breaks shorter than 20 minutes must be paid. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor their timesheets to fit their specific operational and legal needs.

Choosing and Customizing Your Timesheet Template

Selecting the right timesheet template frequency—whether daily, weekly, or monthly—depends on your business’s payroll cycle and operational needs. Customization is key to ensuring the template fits specific industry requirements. For instance, construction firms might require fields for job site details and worker classification, while legal firms often track time in 6-minute increments for precise billing.

Templates in spreadsheet formats like Excel or Google Sheets can include automated calculations to ease the process of summing hours. Adding fields for billable versus non-billable hours is crucial for industries like consulting, where client invoicing depends on accurate time allocation. Harvest, for example, provides flexible templates for tracking billable versus non-billable hours, enhancing project profitability and transparency.

Best Practices for Accurate Time Tracking

Accurate time tracking is essential for effective payroll and project management. Begin by selecting an appropriate template and filling in header details such as employee name and pay period dates. Log actual clock-in and clock-out times daily to prevent memory errors and ensure compliance with labor standards. Include breaks and project/task details as necessary.

To enhance accuracy, encourage employees to track time as work occurs rather than estimating hours later. Training employees on how to use timesheets correctly and what details to include can foster a culture of accountability and precision. By organizing activities by clients or projects, businesses can derive meaningful insights into time allocation and productivity. Regularly reviewing timesheets for accuracy and completeness before submission helps mitigate common errors such as forgetting to record breaks or miscalculating totals.

English Timesheet Templates with Harvest

View and customize English timesheet templates in Excel, Word, and PDF with Harvest for tracking billable vs non-billable hours.

Harvest time tracking interface with customizable English timesheet template.

English Timesheet Template FAQs

  • English timesheet templates are available in multiple formats including Excel, Word, PDF, and Google Sheets. These formats offer flexibility for businesses to choose the one that best suits their operational needs and allows for easy customization.

  • Customizing a timesheet involves adding or removing fields to better suit your business requirements. You can include sections for project names, hourly rates, or overtime hours. Spreadsheet formats like Excel often have built-in formulas for automatic calculations, simplifying the process.

  • Yes, there are industry-specific timesheet templates available. For example, construction firms might use templates with fields for job site details, while legal firms often require time tracking in 6-minute increments. These specialized templates ensure compliance and efficient billing processes.

  • Tracking billable versus non-billable hours can be done by using templates with designated columns or sections for each type. This is important for client invoicing and understanding project profitability. Harvest provides templates that allow for such detailed tracking.

  • Best practices include selecting the right template, logging actual start and end times daily, and including details like breaks and project information. It's important to review timesheets for accuracy before submission to avoid common errors such as missed breaks or miscalculations.

  • Harvest offers flexible templates that track billable vs non-billable hours, making it easier for businesses to manage project costs and ensure compliance. Its integration capabilities with tools like Asana and Slack further streamline time tracking and project management.

  • Common mistakes include forgetting to record breaks, estimating times instead of recording actual times, and waiting until the end of the week to fill out timesheets. Using automated templates and logging time as work happens can help avoid these errors.