A timesheet template is a ready-made weekly sheet where you record start time, end time and break for each day, and it turns those into hours worked, overtime and pay. This page has a free Excel timesheet with working formulas and a printable Word timesheet. The same sheet is also available as an online timesheet generator that exports a signed PDF.
Free, no account needed. The files open in Excel, Word, Google Sheets and Google Docs.
Weekly timesheet template: Excel and Word
Both files cover one week and have the same fields. Pick the one that matches how you work.
- Excel timesheet. Fill the yellow cells: your name, the employer, the week ending date, the hourly rate and a start time, end time and break for each day. The date and weekday fill in from the week ending date. Hours, total hours, regular and overtime hours, regular pay, overtime pay and total pay all calculate. Overtime is set to start after 40 hours at 1.5 times, and you can change both.
- Word timesheet. A single landscape page with a header block, seven day rows, total rows and signature lines for the employee and the approver. Nothing calculates, which makes it a good fit when hours are written by hand and added up at the end.
- Online timesheet. The free timesheet generator lets you type the week on the sheet itself, adds the hours for you and prints or saves a PDF.
What a timesheet template should include
A timesheet only works as a record if it answers who, for whom, which week and how many hours. These are the fields the online timesheet uses, and the downloads follow the same layout.
| Field | What it records | In the online timesheet |
|---|---|---|
| Worked by | The employee or contractor, with an optional role | Name and role, printed in the header |
| For | The employer or client the hours are for | Name and optional address |
| Job or client | The project the hours belong to | Optional reference line |
| Timesheet number | A reference so the sheet can be found again | Filled in for you, editable |
| Week ending | The last day of the pay week | Date picker on the sheet |
| Date and work | One row per day, with what was done | Add as many day rows as you need |
| Start, end, break | Clock in, clock out and unpaid break in minutes | Hours are calculated; break starts at 30 minutes |
| Hourly rate | What each hour is paid | Per day row, so a mixed week can have two rates |
| Overtime after | The weekly hours before overtime starts | Starts at 40 hours a week |
| Overtime rate | The multiplier for overtime hours | Starts at 1.5 times |
| Currency | The currency the pay is shown in | US, Canadian and Australian dollars, pounds, euros and more |
| Approved by | Who signed the hours off | Name, role and a signature |
| Status and note | Draft, submitted or approved, plus a note to the approver | Selectable status and an optional note |
Worked example: a week with overtime
Take a week ending Sunday, November 1, 2026, paid at $24.00 an hour with overtime after 40 hours at 1.5 times. Hours for each day are the end time minus the start time minus the break. Monday, for example, is 9 hours on the clock minus 30 minutes, which is 8.5 hours.
| Day | Start | End | Break | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 08:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 8.50 |
| Tuesday | 08:00 | 17:30 | 30 min | 9.00 |
| Wednesday | 07:30 | 17:00 | 30 min | 9.00 |
| Thursday | 08:00 | 17:00 | 60 min | 8.00 |
| Friday | 08:00 | 17:30 | 30 min | 9.00 |
| Saturday | 08:00 | 13:00 | none | 5.00 |
| Step | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Total hours | 8.5 + 9 + 9 + 8 + 9 + 5 | 48.50 h |
| Regular hours | The first 40 hours of the week | 40.00 h |
| Overtime hours | 48.5 - 40 | 8.50 h |
| Regular pay | 40 x $24.00 | $960.00 |
| Overtime pay | 8.5 x $24.00 x 1.5 | $306.00 |
| Total pay | $960.00 + $306.00 | $1,266.00 |
Check the arithmetic. 48.5 hours at the normal rate would be $1,164.00. The overtime hours earn an extra half rate, 8.5 x $24.00 x 0.5 = $102.00, and $1,164.00 + $102.00 = $1,266.00, the same total as above. Enter this week into the Excel file or the online timesheet and you should see the same figures.
How to fill in a timesheet
- Write the employee name, the employer or client, and the week ending date.
- For each day worked, enter the start time, the end time and the unpaid break in minutes. Leave days off blank.
- Work out hours: end minus start minus break, with minutes divided by 60.
- Add the days to get total hours. Subtract the overtime threshold to find overtime hours, if any.
- Multiply regular hours by the hourly rate and overtime hours by the rate and the overtime multiplier, then add the two.
- Sign it, and have the approver sign it before it goes to payroll or becomes an invoice.
Excel, Word, PDF or online: which should you use?
None of these is better in every case. The right choice depends on whether you want calculations, a page to write on or a file to send.
| Format | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Excel (.xlsx) | Hours and pay that add themselves up, and a week you keep on file | You need Excel or a compatible spreadsheet app, and changing formulas can break the sheet |
| Word (.docx) | A clean page to print and fill in by hand | No calculations, so you add the hours with a calculator |
| Sending a finished timesheet that cannot be edited by accident | Best produced from a filled sheet; a blank PDF cannot calculate anything | |
| Online timesheet | Typing the week once and getting totals, a signature line and a PDF in one go | Needs a browser; the Excel file suits you better if you want to keep editing offline |
From timesheet to invoice
If you are self-employed, the total hours from a timesheet are what you bill. Attach the timesheet to the client's invoice, or copy the hours and rate into an invoice as a single line such as "Consulting, 48.5 hours at $24.00". The free invoice generator handles the invoice side, and the hourly invoice calculator works out a bill from hours and rate if you only need the number. To check how much of your week you can bill, try the billable hours calculator.
A note on overtime rules. In the United States, many non-exempt employees must be paid at least one and a half times their regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek, and some states add daily overtime. Exempt roles, contractors and other countries follow different rules. This template calculates what you enter. It does not decide what overtime you owe, so check your state, contract or employer policy.
Timesheet template questions
What is a timesheet template?
A timesheet template is a ready-made sheet for recording the hours someone works, usually one week at a time. It has a row for each day with start time, end time and break, a column that turns those into hours, and a total that can feed payroll or an invoice.
Is there a free timesheet template for Excel?
Yes. The weekly timesheet on this page downloads as an .xlsx file. You type the start time, end time and break for each day, and the sheet works out hours, regular hours, overtime hours, regular pay, overtime pay and total pay with formulas. It is free and needs no account.
How do you calculate hours on a timesheet with a lunch break?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract the unpaid break. For example, 8:00 to 17:00 is 9 hours, and a 30 minute unpaid lunch leaves 8.5 hours. Convert minutes to hours by dividing by 60 before you add the days together.
How is overtime calculated on a weekly timesheet?
Add up the week, then take the hours past your overtime threshold (often 40 a week) and pay them at the overtime multiplier, commonly 1.5 times the normal rate. At $24 an hour, 48.5 hours is 40 hours at $24 plus 8.5 hours at $36, which comes to $1,266.00. Overtime rules differ by state and employer, so check the rules that apply to you.
Can I get a printable or PDF timesheet?
Yes. The Word download is laid out as a single landscape page you can print and fill in by hand. If you would rather type, open the online timesheet, enter the days and use Print or save PDF. It also offers a PNG image, CSV and JSON download.
Do I need an account to use the timesheet template?
No. The Excel and Word files download straight from this page, and the online timesheet works without signing in. Some extras, such as picking a design or sending a tracked link, need a free account.
Related tools
- Free online timesheet, with overtime, signature and PDF export
- Free invoice generator for billing the hours
- Hourly invoice calculator and billable hours calculator
- Blank invoice templates in Word, Excel and PDF
- All InvoiceTools calculators and generators