For freelancers, contractors and small teams
If you are paid by the hour, a timesheet is the evidence behind your invoice. If you employ people by the hour, it is the record behind their pay. Either way it should be quick to fill in, impossible to misread and signed by both sides. This timesheet calculates the hours for you, handles breaks and overtime, and becomes an invoice when you are done.
How to fill it in
- Choose the period: one week, two weeks, or to the end of the month. The days are filled in for you.
- Type start and end times. Quick formats work: 9, 9:30, 0930, 5pm. Type 9-5 in the start box and both times fill in.
- Add the break in minutes. Hours are worked out per day.
- Fill one day, then use “Copy first day to weekdays” if your hours are regular.
- Add notes or the task for each day if the client wants detail.
Overtime
Turn on overtime under Advanced settings and choose after how many hours a day it starts (8 by default) and the multiplier (1.5 by default). The totals show regular hours, overtime hours and the amount at the right rates. Check your employment contract or local labour law for the rules that apply to you.
Shifts past midnight
A shift from 22:00 to 06:00 is counted as 8 hours. Times are treated as wall-clock times, so a daylight-saving change during a night shift is not adjusted; note it if it matters.
From timesheet to invoice
Add your hourly rate and the timesheet shows the amount due. Download it, then choose “Make invoice”: the invoice gets one line, “Hours worked”, with the total hours (overtime included at its rate) and your rate. Send both together so the client can check the hours.
Decimal or hours and minutes
Hours can be shown as decimals (7.5) or hours and minutes (7:30) under Advanced settings. Decimal hours are easier to multiply by a rate; hours and minutes are easier to read.
Good practice
- Fill it in daily, not at the end of the month.
- Get it signed by the client or supervisor before invoicing.
- Keep notes short but specific, especially for unusual days.
A worked example
A part-time receptionist at a clinic works Monday to Friday. On Monday she types “8:30” and “17:00” with a 30-minute break: 8 hours. On Wednesday she stays late for a stock count until 18:30: 9.5 hours. On Friday she leaves early at 15:00 with no break, noted as “Left early, agreed”. With overtime after 8 hours a day at 1.5×, the totals show 39.5 regular hours and 1.5 overtime hours. Her rate of 22 an hour gives the amount due. The clinic manager signs it, and she turns it into an invoice in one tap.
Checklist
- The period and the client or employer are correct.
- Every day worked has a start, end and break.
- Unusual days have a short note.
- Overtime rules match your agreement.
- Both signatures are in place before invoicing.
Timesheet terms explained
- Regular hours
- Hours up to the overtime threshold.
- Overtime
- Hours beyond the threshold, often paid at 1.5 times the normal rate.
- Break
- Unpaid time during a shift, entered in minutes.
- Decimal hours
- 7.5 hours means seven and a half hours, or 7:30.
- Period
- The week, fortnight or month the timesheet covers.
- Approved by
- The client or supervisor confirming the hours are correct.
For contractors, attaching the signed timesheet to your invoice answers most questions before they are asked and gets you paid faster.
Who uses timesheets
Freelancers and contractors billing by the hour, cleaners and caregivers, casual and part-time staff, tutors, consultants and small teams that pay by the hour. Agencies placing workers with clients often require a signed timesheet before they can invoice, so having it ready and signed each week keeps payments on time.
Related free tools
- Free invoice generator: to bill the hours.
- Free payslip generator: to pay employees for the hours worked.
- Free expense claim form: for travel and costs on top of hours.
One more tip
Agree the overtime rule and the hourly rate in writing before the work starts, and keep them the same on every timesheet. Most disagreements about pay come from rules that were never written down.
Updated 2026-10-29