A timesheet is a record of when each employee arrived, when they left and their status for every day: present, absent, on leave or a day off. Enter the two times on the monthly timesheet above and hours worked, late minutes and overtime are calculated, while the month's calendar is shaded by status. The second tab gives you a daily sign-in sheet to sign at the entrance.
Hours worked = time out − time in; overtime = hours above the daily hours. The October example shows 18 days present, 1 absence, 2 leave days, 153.90 hours worked, 90 late minutes and 10 overtime hours.
How to use the timesheet template
- Enter the date and employee name and choose a status. Fridays and Saturdays are days off in the example; change them to match your working week.
- Type times as hour.minutes in 24-hour format: 8.30 means 8:30 and 17.15 means 5:15 pm. A time with 60 minutes or more turns the row red as an error.
- In Advanced mode, set the start time, grace period and daily hours, and enter each employee's wage on the Employee summary and overtime sheet.
- Download the timesheet for whoever prepares payroll, and attach the daily sign-in sheet if you use one.
What goes in each column
| Column | What you enter or how it is calculated |
|---|---|
| Status | Present, Absent, Leave or Day off. Calculations run for Present days only. |
| Time in and time out | hour.minutes in 24-hour format. A shift that ends after midnight is calculated correctly. |
| Hours worked | The difference between the two times in decimal hours: 8:15 to 16:30 = 8.25 hours. |
| Late (min) | Minutes after the start time; lateness within the grace period (10 minutes in the example) is not counted. |
| Overtime (h) | Hours worked above the daily hours in Settings. |
What is a timesheet: the monthly attendance record and hours worked
A timesheet records the hours each employee worked so they can be paid correctly; an attendance register only records who was present. This monthly timesheet does both and puts all of an employee's days on one sheet. In the example, Saad Al Rashidi arrived at 8:15 on 5 October and left at 16:30, so he worked 8.25 hours, was 15 minutes late, and the extra quarter-hour counts as overtime. On 27 October he arrived at 8:06, inside the grace period, so no lateness is counted. The Employee summary and overtime sheet totals each name's days present, absent and on leave, hours and late minutes from the same timesheet, so the file works for a whole team, not just one person.
Absence and overtime in the Excel timesheet
The Day present, Day absent and Leave day columns put a 1 on each day of that status, so the month's absences are a simple sum, and the summary sheet totals them per name. It also estimates overtime pay with the formula in Article 107 of the Saudi Labor Law as we read it: the normal hourly wage plus 50% of the basic hourly wage. Saad's monthly wage is SAR 6,750 and his basic is SAR 5,000, so his normal hour is 6,750 ÷ 30 ÷ 8 = about SAR 28.13, his premium is half of SAR 20.83, and his ten overtime hours come to SAR 385.42. One absent day is worth 6,750 ÷ 30 = SAR 225.00. The premium and the days per month are editable, and the figure is an estimate to check against the employee's contract before it goes onto the payroll. The weekly staff shift schedule now has its own page.
Daily sign-in sheet
The Daily sign-in sheet tab is a page to print each morning with employee names, boxes for time in and time out and two signatures; each employee fills in their own line and the supervisor signs it off. It suits shops and restaurants without a fingerprint device. The Daily team attendance example on the monthly timesheet enters one day's times for six employees if you want to move the paper sheet into the table.
Timesheet template in Excel, PDF and Word
Excel suits teams of more than a handful because every row calculates. The Excel file keeps the formulas for hours, lateness, overtime and per-employee totals, plus a Settings sheet with working times and rates. The blank version has forty rows with their formulas. The daily sign-in sheet downloads as Word to add your logo, or as PDF to print as it is.
Common timesheet mistakes
- Typing 8.5 when you mean 8:30; in this template 8.5 means 8:50.
- Counting a day off as an absence because its status was left blank.
- Adding up late minutes to deduct from pay without approved work rules that allow it.
- Recording overtime without the manager's prior written approval.
Regulatory notes
Daily and weekly working hours are in Article 98 of the Labor Law, and they are reduced in Ramadan for Muslim workers; overtime pay is in Article 107 and the weekly rest day in Article 104. The pre-filled values (8 hours a day, 48 a week and 50%) are reference values, so check the current text with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development. Any deduction for lateness or absence needs approved internal work regulations.
When fingerprint logs, leave and payroll sit in separate files
Microtec accounting software covers sales, purchasing, inventory and finance and includes an HR module for businesses in Saudi Arabia, so attendance, leave and payroll records stay in one system.
Timesheet FAQ
How do I calculate hours worked from time in and time out?
Convert both times to minutes, subtract, then divide by 60. 16:30 = 990 minutes and 8:15 = 495 minutes; the difference is 495 minutes = 8.25 hours. The timesheet does this for every row.
Is a paper attendance register enough?
For a small team, yes, if each employee signs their own times and the supervisor approves the sheet daily. With several branches or many shifts it is hard to collect and check, so move to an Excel timesheet or an electronic system.
How long should timesheets be kept?
The Labor Law requires employers to keep employee records, and the period is set in the implementing regulations (verify). Keep signed monthly timesheets for the length of the contract and after it ends until you have checked the required period.
Does the template deduct lateness from salary?
No. It only totals late minutes. A deduction is a decision governed by the company's internal work regulations, and it is recorded on the payroll afterwards.
Does the timesheet connect to a fingerprint device?
The template does not connect to any device. If your device exports times to Excel, paste them into the time in and time out columns as hour.minutes and the hours and lateness are calculated.
How do I record leave on the timesheet?
Choose Leave in the Status column and note the type in Advanced mode. The day counts as a leave day and is left out of hours, lateness and absences.