PeopleMuster

Monthly timesheet template

A monthly timesheet puts a whole month of one person's hours on a single page, split by project, with the hours they were expected to work in the next column. The month-end block then answers the question a weekly sheet can't: across the month, how much of the expected time was actually logged, and where did it go?

Pick the monthly sheet for salaried staff, contractors who invoice monthly, or anyone whose hours get reviewed once a month. Fill it daily, not on the 30th. If hours are checked every week, the weekly project timesheet keeps the review closer to the work.

MONTHLY TIMESHEET
Name: [EMPLOYEE NAME]
Department: [DEPARTMENT]
Month: [MONTH AND YEAR]
Expected hours per working day: [EXPECTED DAILY HOURS]

Projects this month
P1 = [PROJECT 1]
P2 = [PROJECT 2]
P3 = [PROJECT 3]
IN = internal time (training, admin, team meetings)

Date | Day | P1 | P2 | P3 | IN | Day total | Expected | Difference
1 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
2 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
3 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
4 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
5 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
6 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
7 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
8 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
9 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
10 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
11 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
12 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
13 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
14 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
15 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
16 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
17 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
18 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
19 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
20 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
21 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
22 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
23 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
24 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
25 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
26 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
27 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
28 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
29 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
30 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
31 | ___ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._
Month total | | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._ | __._

MONTH-END CHECK
Hours logged: [HOURS LOGGED]
Hours expected: [HOURS EXPECTED]
Completion: [HOURS LOGGED] / [HOURS EXPECTED] x 100 = [COMPLETION PERCENT]
Days with nothing logged: [DAYS MISSING]

Status: Draft / Submitted / Approved
Submitted by: [EMPLOYEE NAME]  Date: [SUBMIT DATE]
Approved by: [APPROVER NAME]  Date: [APPROVAL DATE]

What to put in each blank

[EXPECTED DAILY HOURS]
Enter the standard working day, such as 8. Write 0 in the Expected column on weekly days off, holidays and leave days.
[PROJECT 1]
Name the client or project exactly as it appears on your project list, so hours land against the right one.
[HOURS LOGGED]
Copy the Day total figure from the Month total row.
[HOURS EXPECTED]
Copy the Expected figure from the Month total row.
[COMPLETION PERCENT]
Divide logged by expected and multiply by 100. 152 logged against 160 expected is 95%.
[DAYS MISSING]
Count working days with a blank Day total. The number matters more than the percentage, because a blank day is usually a day nobody remembered.
[APPROVER NAME]
Name the manager who checks the hours, not whoever files the sheet.

Before you send it

  • Write Expected hours in before the month starts, including 0 on holidays and approved leave. Then the Difference column means something from day one.
  • Log each day before you finish it. A month rebuilt from memory on the last day is a guess with a signature on it.
  • Keep projects to three columns plus internal time. A fourth project that shows up mid-month gets its own column on next month's sheet.
  • Read the Difference column top to bottom before you submit. A run of short days in one week tells your manager more than the monthly total.

PeopleMuster people log each day's hours by project, see total logged against expected hours with a completion percentage, and submit timesheets that move from draft to submitted for approval.

Questions people ask about this letter

How many hours should a monthly timesheet show?

Multiply the working days in the month by the standard day. A 20-working-day month at 8 hours a day expects 160 hours. Take holidays and approved leave out first, or the completion figure reads low for no reason.

Should a monthly timesheet be signed by the employee and the manager?

Yes, both. The employee confirms the hours are true, and the manager confirms they were reviewed. The status line moves from Draft to Submitted to Approved, so everyone can see where the sheet is.

What should go in the internal time column?

Anything that is real work but belongs to no client: training, hiring interviews, team meetings, admin. Tracking it keeps the project columns honest, and it shows how much of the month internal work takes.

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