How to Make Your Own Timesheet Template in Excel

Tracking employee time is a critical task for any business. A clear and organized timesheet template makes this process efficient for both managers and employees.

Excel provides an easy way to create customizable timesheets from scratch. With a bit of setup time initially you can make a reusable template to fit your business needs.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn

• The key elements to include in a timesheet
• How to structure and format a timesheet in Excel
• Useful formulas for automatic calculations
• Customization tips to match your requirements
• Options for templating and sharing timesheets

With these tips, you’ll quickly have a timesheet template that simplifies time tracking and payroll preparation

Step 1: Download a Blank Excel File

The first step is to open a new blank Excel workbook. This provides a fresh workspace to build your template.

You can also start with an existing Excel timesheet template if you prefer. Just be sure to customize it for your needs in the steps below.

Step 2: Prepare Excel Sheet

Now set up the overall structure and formatting:

• Add columns – At minimum, include columns for employee name, department, date, task, and time. You can add other fields if needed.

• Include date range – Add columns with the dates covered, like a standard weekly or monthly calendar.

• Allow entries – Highlight the cells where time data will be entered. Format them as numbers for easy data input.

• Set fonts and borders – Make headers and labels easy to read with larger fonts and borders.

Organizing these core elements upfront speeds time entry later.

Step 3: Enter Identifying Information

With the skeleton in place, now add:

• Employee name – Put in employee name and optionally columns for department, position, manager, etc.

• Date range – Populate the date columns with the full date range covered.

• Labels – Add labels like “Date”, “Task”, “Time” to identify fields.

Including this static information in the template eliminates manual rework each timesheet.

Step 4: Add Rates of Pay

If your timesheets track pay or calculate totals, include pay rate information:

• Hourly/salary data – Enter hourly rates or annual salary figures for pay calculation.

• Overtime rates – Define the increased rates for overtime hours.

• Formulas – Set up formulas to automatically tally pay based on hours.

Pay rates can be included for each employee or on a separate sheet.

Step 5: Design Space for Time Entries

Now structure the area where employees will enter time:

• Task labels – Provide space to label activities completed.

• Time columns – Include columns for hours worked each day and totals.

• Week/month setup – Organize columns chronologically by week or month.

Leave plenty of rows to enter time chunks for tasks on given dates.

Step 6: Build Formulas to Tally Hours

Formulas eliminate manual tallies of hours worked. Include formulas that:

• Calculate daily total – Add up hours for each day.

• Calculate weekly/monthly total – Sum hours across the full date range.

• Calculate overtime – Flag overtime amounts based on hours exceeded.

Let Excel handle the math automatically to save work later.

Step 7: Add Summary Section

A summary section makes the key information easy to digest:

• Total hours for period – Pull the total into a summary.

• Overtime hours – Call out overtime amount.

• Total pay – If tracking pay, include the pay totals here.

The summary gives managers and payroll quick access to key figures.

Step 8: Include Instructions Tab

Add a dedicated instructions tab:

• Explain template sections – Describe the purpose of each section.

• Include examples – Show examples for entering common scenarios like overtime, different tasks etc.

Clear instructions prevent incorrect data entry when sharing the template across your team.

Step 9: Format Readability

Use formatting to maximize readability:

• Font size – Ensure font is legible for viewing and printing.

• Filtering – Enable filtering to find specific info when reviewing.

• Freeze panes – Freeze top rows and left columns to keep titles always visible.

• Bold headers – Make headings stand out.

A well-formatted template lets managers review and approve timesheets efficiently.

Step 10: Customize Organization Details

Tweak the template to fit your approval flow and policies:

• Status field – Track status like “Submitted”, “Approved” etc.

• Employee vs manager sections – Include sections for approvers to add notes, approval signature etc.

• Color coding – Color code fields or sections according to your processes.

Match the information captured and layout to your organization’s systems and needs.

Step 11: Save as Timesheet Template

Once your template is complete:

• Save as timesheet template file – Save with a name like “Timesheet Template.xlsx”

• Store in shared folder – Save centrally where users can access to create new time entries.

• Copy to new files – Copy the file for each timesheet period vs overwriting.

• Adjust table size – Make sure the table fits additional rows as needed.

Now your template is ready for team-wide timesheet creation and management.

Top Tips for Excel Timesheet Templates

Keep these tips in mind for timesheet success:

• Include all necessary identifying information
• Build in formulas to calculate hours and pay automatically
• Structure chronologically by week or month
• Use a tab for summary data for quick review
• Provide clear instructions on template use
• Format for readability and printing
• Organize approvals workflow into sections
• Customize fields and layout to match policies
• Freeze top rows and left columns for easy scrolling
• Share template centrally for easy access

Investing upfront in a comprehensive template prevents headaches at timesheet time each week or month.

Alternative Options for Managed Timesheets

While DIY timesheet templates provide maximum flexibility, you can also explore dedicated timesheet systems.

Popular options include:

• Timesheet apps – Simple apps like Timesheet Mobile and HoursTracker provide timesheeting capabilities with more features than spreadsheets.

• Time and attendance systems – Robust systems like Workforce and TimeClock Plus have advanced features for managing times, attendance, scheduling and more.

• HR systems with timekeeping – Many HR systems like BambooHR and Gusto include time tracking functions.

• Project management tools – Tools like Asana, Trello and more allow time entry for tasks.

• Billing and tracking apps – Apps like Harvest, Toggl and Timely automatically track time which can feed timesheet data.

While more complex systems require training, they automate more of the process.

Get Started with Your Timesheet Template

Now you have the foundation to build an Excel timesheet tailored to your business needs.

The upfront investment in a clear, working template prevents frustration and inaccuracies down the road. A good template makes it easier on employees to submit accurate data and managers to review and approve.

With these simple tips, you can quickly level-up your time tracking. So download that blank Excel file and get started creating your timesheet template today. In no time, you’ll have a streamlined system for payroll and billing precision.