Timesheets for UK teams, from a free template to online

What a timesheet records

A timesheet is a record of when someone worked, for how long and on what. For most UK teams it covers the date, start and finish times, unpaid breaks, the project or client, and a short note where one is needed. Payroll uses it to calculate pay, managers use it to plan work, and it forms part of the working-time records that employers must keep.

Keep the format simple. A timesheet that takes two minutes a day gets filled in. One that takes twenty minutes on Friday afternoon usually gets estimated.

Start with a free timesheet template

If you have no system yet, a free timesheet template is the quickest way to start. zeitfair offers a free timesheet template download, so you can print it or open it in a spreadsheet and begin the same day.

A basic template should include these columns:

A template works while one or two people fill it in. It becomes harder once a team grows. Someone has to collect every sheet, check the totals and retype hours for payroll. That is the point where an online timesheet saves time.

Online timesheets for UK teams

An online timesheet does the same job as a template, but every entry sits in one place. Staff record their hours in a browser, managers see team totals as they build up, and the record can be exported when payroll or a client needs it.

zeitfair is built around this workflow. Each person can run a timer for live work or add manual entries for time they forgot to log. Projects, clients and tasks keep hours organised, and breaks are recorded with the entry they belong to.

Fill in and approve

Employees fill in their hours as they work. Absences such as holiday are requested in the tool, and a manager approves or declines them there. This keeps leave in the same record as the hours, instead of in a separate email chain.

Time entries are reviewed through team and project totals. A manager can see whether hours look right before payroll runs, and any correction to an entry is logged.

Monthly statements as PDF

Each employee can export a monthly time statement as a PDF. It lists the hours logged for the month, so people can check them before payroll is processed. Managers can also export team and project reports as CSV or PDF for their own records.

Corrections with an audit trail

People forget to log time, and mistakes happen. A timesheet should allow corrections, but corrections should never be silent. zeitfair logs changes to time entries, so you can see what changed and when. That protects staff from unexplained edits and gives managers a way to check them.

A web app on phones, not a store app

zeitfair is a progressive web app (PWA). Staff open it in the browser on a phone or laptop and clock in or out from there. There is no download from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and it is not a native app. If your team needs a store app specifically, check this before you choose a tool.

UK rules on working-time records

The Working Time Regulations 1998 set the main limits on working time. They include an average maximum of 48 hours a week, which a worker can opt out of in writing, a rest break of 20 minutes for a working day longer than six hours, daily rest of 11 consecutive hours, and paid annual leave.

Regulation 9 requires employers to keep records that are adequate to show whether the regulations are being complied with. Those records must be kept for two years. The regulations do not set a format. A paper form, a spreadsheet or an online timesheet can all work, provided the records are accurate, complete and kept for the full period.

You may also see the European ruling in case C-55/18 (14 May 2019), where the Court of Justice of the European Union held that employers must use an objective, reliable and accessible system to measure each worker's daily working time. That is EU law, so UK employers should base their process on the Working Time Regulations 1998. A clear timesheet process helps show compliance with either regime.

This is general information, not legal advice. Check your obligations with an employment lawyer or your HR adviser before you change how you record hours.

Timesheets and UK GDPR

A timesheet holds personal data about everyone who logs time. Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, the employer is usually the controller and the timesheet provider is a processor. That means you need a written data processing agreement with the provider, as Article 28 UK GDPR requires.

Four practical steps help:

1. Collect only what you need. Working time, projects and absences are usually enough.
2. Tell staff what is recorded, why, and for how long.
3. Set a retention period that covers the two-year working-time record duty, then delete records when it ends.
4. Sign the processor agreement before you start recording hours.

zeitfair stores data in the EU, in Frankfurt, and offers a DPA online. It also supports data export and deletion, and it keeps an audit log. EU hosting helps with data location, but it does not settle every question about international transfers, so check your position with your data protection adviser. For more detail, see our guide to GDPR time tracking.

Who needs a timesheet

Not every business needs formal timesheets, but most UK employers do need reliable records of working time. Hourly-paid staff, part-time workers and anyone who works shifts or variable hours usually need a clear record for pay. Teams that bill clients by the hour need one for invoices. Staff on fixed salaries still benefit, because the record shows whether working-time limits such as daily rest and rest breaks are being respected.

Agency and contract teams often add another layer. Each placement may need approved hours before an invoice goes out, and the client may ask for a monthly statement. An online timesheet with approvals and PDF exports covers that case without a chase by email at the end of every month.

Timesheets also help the people who fill them in. A record of hours is useful evidence when someone is asked to justify overtime, requests time off in lieu, or wants to check that their holiday accrual is correct.

Choosing a timesheet method

Each option suits a different team size and set of needs.

If you are unsure, start with the free template for a few weeks. When the team needs approvals, monthly statements or a record of who changed what, move to an online timesheet.

Small teams and project work

Small businesses usually want a simple setup and a low cost. zeitfair's free plan covers up to three users, so you can test the timer, projects and exports with a real team. Paid plans are priced per user, and you can check the current options on the pricing page.

If you bill clients by the hour, link every entry to a project. Review open entries each week and compare planned with actual hours. The project time tracking guide covers that setup step by step. For an overview of the software side, see the timesheet app page.

Get started

Download the free timesheet template to begin today, or start free with zeitfair on up to three users. Once the routine settles, review the first monthly statements together and adjust the settings as needed.