Why should my small business use employee timesheets?
You need a timesheet to accurately track employee work hours, calculate payroll, and monitor productivity. Let’s go over each reason in depth.
1. Comply with legal requirements to record employee hours.
All employers in Australia must keep records of time and wages for at least 7 years under the Fair Work Act 2009. Using a timesheet maker like Payroller helps small businesses track employee attendance and work hours for calculating single touch payroll and superannuation.
2. Accurate Payroll Processing.
Employee timesheets provide a detailed record of staff work hours. This ensures accurate payroll processing. By minimising errors in pay and wage calculations, youโre more likely to pay employees fairly.
3. Manage small business staffing efficiently.
Timesheets for employees help you monitor employee attendance, track overtime hours and identify patterns in productivity.
Keeping employee timesheets helps effective workforce management. Small businesses can make more informed decisions around people management and scheduling.
4. Compliance with employment laws.
Providing accurate timesheets to employees ensures your small businessโ compliance with minimum wage requirements, overtime rules and other labour laws. Employee timesheets act as evidence of hours worked which is valuable documentation in the event of a labour dispute or government audit.
5. Promotes transparency with employees.
Having a timesheet system means that employees are accountable for their work hours. Timesheets encourage staff members to accurately review their work hours before submitting for manager approval. Staff timesheets can be an important communication tool between small business owners or managers and their employees.
What information should I include on a timesheet?
A timesheet should include the employee’s name, dates worked, start and end times for each shift, total hours worked, and any breaks taken. You may also want to include columns for overtime, leave, or specific tasks completed. Including detailed information about tasks or projects worked on can help in project management and billing clients accurately.
Here’s a complete list of elements that should be on a timesheet:
- Employee name and ID
- Job title
- Department
- Supervisor’s name
- Date range
- Time entries with start and end times
- Break times
- Total hours worked
- Project name and description (if applicable)
- Overtime hours and reason for overtime
- Approval signatures
- Notes and comments
How do I make a Timesheet?
Make a timesheet for your employees with a simple timesheet maker like Payroller using our simple guide below.
1. Access Payrollerโs Timesheets.
Sign up or log in to your Payroller account and navigate to the Timesheets section. Itโs simple to add a timesheet in web app with our user guide.
2. Customise our timesheet template.
Payrollerโs timesheets feature provides a timesheet template that you can customise to suit your business needs. Our software provides a template with all the necessary information to make employee timesheets like employee details, work dates, start and end times, breaks, and more. Our timesheets capture all the necessary data for accurate record-keeping in your small business.
3. Fill in and make an employee timesheet.
Enter employee work hours on your staff membersโ behalf. Alternatively, employees can use the free timesheet app to fill in their hours directly and submit for manager approval.
4. Review and approve employee timesheets.
Itโs important to review employee timesheets and approve any timesheets submitted directly by employees.
As the business owner or manager, you have the ability to review and verify the accuracy of the recorded hours. This step ensures that the timesheets are error-free and ready for payroll processing.
How often should I review and update timesheets?
Timesheets should be reviewed and updated regularly, ideally at the end of each pay period. This ensures accuracy in payroll calculations and helps identify any discrepancies or issues early on. Regular reviews also provide an opportunity to address any employee questions or concerns about their hours or pay, fostering a transparent and fair work environment.
What are the benefits of using digital timesheets?
Digital timesheets offer several benefits, including ease of use, automatic calculations, and real-time data access. They reduce errors, streamline payroll processing, and provide insights into employee productivity and project costs. Digital timesheets also facilitate remote work by allowing employees to log hours from anywhere, which is particularly useful for businesses with distributed teams. Additionally, they often integrate with other business systems, such as payroll and accounting software, to create a seamless workflow.
How do I store and secure timesheet data?
Store timesheet data securely by using encrypted digital storage solutions and limiting access to authorised personnel. Regularly back up data to prevent loss in case of system failures or cyberattacks. Ensuring the security of timesheet data is critical for protecting sensitive employee information and maintaining compliance with privacy regulations.
