Free employee timesheet template

    Collect time by person, client and project while retaining submission and approval status.

    Template preview

    DateEmployeeClientProjectActivityHoursBillableApproval statusApproverNotes
    2026-07-20Anna GreenAcmeCloud migrationData pipeline8YesSubmittedMark

    How to use it

    1

    Download the CSV and open it in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice.

    2

    Adapt categories and stages without removing stable identifiers.

    3

    When the file becomes hard to maintain, create a free HICE workspace and manage the process directly there.

    How to ask for hours so they actually get filled in

    Excessive detail is the most common reason a timesheet is filled in badly. Asking for fifteen-minute blocks and dozens of codes gets people completing it on Friday from memory, and that data ends up supporting invoices and margins.

    The practical rule is to ask for the granularity that produces a decision or a contractual obligation, and nothing more. It also helps a great deal to fix a known day and time for the weekly close: reminders work when the team knows in advance when they arrive.

    • Few activities, aligned with the contract
    • A clear billable flag on every line
    • Weekly close at a known day and time
    • Absences and public holidays recorded like everything else

    From logged hours to the billable amount

    The journey between the hour worked and the invoice issued has five steps, and almost all the delays are internal: late entry, an approval waiting for somebody, rate validation, invoice preparation and dispatch. Cutting two days from each brings billing forward by a full week.

    In a spreadsheet that journey is done by hand every month and always at the worst possible moment. It is worth at least separating approval status and the applied rate into their own columns, so the calculation does not depend on the memory of whoever prepares the invoice.

    • Approval status with an owner and a date
    • The applied rate visible next to the hours
    • Delivered hours not yet invoiced identified
    • Invoice detail in the format agreed with the client

    When the spreadsheet is no longer enough

    When you are ready to move beyond the sheet, create a HICE workspace and manage data, roles, approvals and history in one place.

    Move to HICE for free
    Free timesheet template with employee, client, project, time, activity and approval status.

    Frequently asked questions

    Do I need to register to download it?+

    No. Download the template without email or payment card.

    Does it work with Excel and Google Sheets?+

    Yes. The UTF-8 CSV works with mainstream spreadsheet tools.

    Is the template imported into HICE?+

    No. The template is a standalone tool. In HICE, add candidates by uploading CVs and configure the other workflows directly in the workspace.

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