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Weekly Time Report Template

Harvest is the ideal tool for freelancers and teams needing to track billable versus non-billable hours effectively, helping to prevent a 15-20% loss in billable income.

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How many hours did you work this week?

Enter your clock-in and clock-out times for each day. The calculator handles breaks, overtime, and weekly totals automatically.

Day Clock In Clock Out Break Hours
Total hours this week 0h
Regular hours (≤40) 0h
Overtime hours 0h
Average hours/day 0h
Total break time 0h

Track time automatically with Harvest

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
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1:24:09
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1:30:00
SEO Audit
Technical audit report
0:45:00
Brand Guidelines
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2:15:00
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Initial sketches round 1
1:00:00

Understanding the "Why": Benefits of Weekly Time Reports

Weekly time reports are essential for maintaining accurate payroll and complying with regulations like the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). For employers, these reports ensure accurate payroll, compliance with labor laws, improved project planning, and reduced overtime costs. For employees, they guarantee fair compensation, including overtime, and help maintain a healthy work-life balance by defining work hours clearly.

According to the FLSA, employers must track hours for non-exempt employees, including overtime hours, which must be compensated at 1.5 times the regular rate beyond 40 hours per week. Furthermore, regular reviews of time reports can improve resource allocation, boost productivity, and provide valuable insights for business decisions. For instance, manual time tracking systems, used by 38% of businesses, are prone to errors but when utilized effectively can enhance transparency and accountability.

Choosing Your Template: Formats and Features

When selecting a weekly time report template, consider the format that best suits your needs. Options include Excel and Google Sheets, which offer the power of automation with built-in formulas for calculating total hours and pay. These formats are ideal for businesses that need to handle complex data efficiently.

For simplicity, Word and PDF formats are suitable for manual tracking. Templates can be customized by entering employee details, standard and overtime pay rates, and specific work dates or tasks. Industry-specific templates, such as those for construction or project management, can further tailor your time tracking to suit unique business requirements.

Legal Landscape: FLSA Requirements for Time Tracking

Under the FLSA, it is mandatory for employers in the U.S. to maintain accurate time and pay records for non-exempt employees. These records should include critical details like hours worked each day, total hours each week, and overtime hours and pay. While the FLSA does not require a specific format, compliance is crucial to avoid legal issues.

Employers must retain these records for three years, although states like New York and California require up to six years. Despite common misconceptions, federal law does not mandate the use of time clocks or employee signatures on timesheets. Consistent and fair time rounding practices are permissible, simplifying payroll calculations and maintaining compliance.

Best Practices for Filling Out and Managing Weekly Time Reports

Accurate time entry is vital in managing weekly time reports effectively. Record clock-in and clock-out times precisely, including break periods, to ensure compliance with labor laws. It's also important to track regular and overtime hours separately, as well as any non-billable hours, to provide a comprehensive view of employee productivity.

Utilize categories or tags for different projects or tasks to enhance the detail in your reports. Regularly review and verify entries to minimize errors and discrepancies. Managers and employees should collaborate to ensure the accuracy of time entries, fostering a transparent and accountable work environment.

Weekly Time Report Template with Harvest

The preview shows Harvest's customizable weekly time report template, perfect for tracking billable and non-billable hours efficiently.

Harvest weekly time report template preview

Weekly Time Report Template FAQs

  • Weekly time report templates are available in various formats, including Excel, Google Sheets, Word, and PDF. Excel and Google Sheets are popular for their automation capabilities, while Word and PDF are preferred for their simplicity.

  • Customizing a template involves inputting employee and manager names, company details, and pay period dates. You can also adjust column headings for specific tasks or projects and use built-in formulas in spreadsheet templates for automatic calculations.

  • Yes, industry-specific templates are available. For example, construction templates may include fields for worker ID and job activity, while project-based templates focus on tracking time spent on client projects. Freelancers can use templates to track billable hours.

  • Best practices include accurately recording clock-in and clock-out times, including breaks, categorizing time by projects or tasks, and regularly reviewing entries to minimize errors. Collaboration between managers and employees ensures accurate and compliant records.

  • Harvest integrates with popular tools like Asana, Trello, Jira, Slack, and GitHub, allowing seamless time tracking across platforms. These integrations enhance productivity by syncing project tasks with time entries.

  • Yes, Harvest allows for expense tracking alongside time. You can capture receipts and manage expenses within the platform, providing a comprehensive view of project costs and budgets.

  • Harvest provides freelancers with tools to efficiently track billable versus non-billable hours. This capability helps freelancers ensure accurate billing and optimize their income by reducing untracked work hours.