Free timesheet calculator

What Is a Timesheet Calculator?

A timesheet calculator is a tool that helps you track employee work hours and calculate pay. It typically includes sections for entering:

• Start and end times
• Breaks
• Overtime
• Hourly rates

A work hour calculator saves time on payroll and helps you stay compliant with Fair Work obligations. Whether you're using a time sheet calculator manually or automating it with software, it’s a great way to stay in control of your staffing costs.

How to use the timesheet calculator

Our free hours worked calculator is easy to use and takes the guesswork out of tracking time. Here’s a quick guide to help you generate an accurate record of hours worked and gross pay:

1. Select Your Timesheet Details

For each employee, choose between the weekly timesheet (for one week of time entries) or the bi-weekly timesheet (for two weeks’ worth of time entries). Then add the number of days worked.

2. Add Overtime Rates

If an employee is eligible for overtime, choose the appropriate overtime rule—for example, they might receive overtime pay after 7.6 hours in a day or 38 hours in a week.

Then:

• Add the employee’s base hourly rate
• Choose the applicable overtime multiplier (e.g. 1.5x or 2x)

This calculator can help with overtime rates that are 1.5 and 2 times the rate of the employee’s base pay. However, these rates are just a guide only: overtime rates may vary depending on workplace agreements or industry. If the employee is not eligible for overtime, select “Exempt.”

3. Add Times Worked—Don’t Forget Overtime and Breaks

For each day the employee worked, enter their clock in and clock out times into the timesheet calculator—including any overtime hours. If they took an unpaid break, simply add the number of break minutes in the field provided. The calculator will automatically subtract this from the total hours worked.

Want to make it even easier? Use an automated tool like QuickBooks Time to track hours for you.

4. Download and Save or Print the Data

As you fill in the clock in and clock out times, the calculator will automatically tally the employee’s total hours (regular and overtime) and total gross pay.

When you’re done, enter your email address and download a copy of the data for your records.

Use QuickBooks Time for Automated Timesheet Tracking

Time tracking is important for team management and payroll – but it’s also easy to get wrong. That’s why many businesses choose automated time tracking software like QuickBooks Time.

With QuickBooks Time, you can:

• Create and share rosters
• Let employees clock in and out from anywhere using QuickBooks Workforce (the mobile app)
• Track remote teams with GPS time tracking

Get a free 30-day trial of QuickBooks Time and take the guesswork out of time tracking.

Benefits of Using Timesheet Calculators

Whether you're managing a few employees or a growing team, a timesheet calculator can make tracking and reporting work hours much easier. Here are some key benefits:

1. Save Time on Payroll

Manual time tracking can be slow and prone to errors – especially when you're managing multiple employees or complex rosters. A time sheet calculator helps streamline the payroll process, saving you time and cutting back on repetitive admin tasks.

The calculator automatically tallies hours worked and applies overtime rates. That means less manual work for you and more efficient payroll processing each week.

2. Reduced Human Error

It’s easy to make mistakes when you’re calculating hours by hand. Missed lunch breaks or incorrect rounding can lead to overpaying or underpaying staff. A work hours calculator removes the guesswork by applying consistent, accurate formulas every time.

3. Stay Fair Work Compliant

Fair Work Australia sets clear rules around employee hours, breaks and overtime. A timesheet calculator helps you stay on top of these requirements by accurately tracking hours worked – reducing the risk of underpaying employees

4. Business Data

Data from your timesheet calculator can give you valuable insights into your business operations. By understanding exactly where time is being spent and how much it's costing you, you can make more informed decisions about staffing and resource allocation. Over time, this data can also help you identify trends and find opportunities to improve efficiency across your team.

Common Issues Calculating Timesheets

Manually tracking work hours can be a headache – and lead to costly mistakes. Here are some common issues you can avoid by using a timesheet calculator instead:

1. Misclassified Employees

Employees on a salary are sometimes incorrectly classified as exempt from being paid overtime. If you misclassify someone, you might owe back pay and be hit with Fair Work penalties.

2. Failure to Pay Overtime

Any employee who works in excess of 38 hours per week or 7.6 hours in a day must be paid overtime. Making mistakes with your manual calculations can result in underpaying your employees, which is a serious issue – the Fair Work Ombudsman recovered $473 million for underpaid workers across 2024.

3. Mismanaged Employee Breaks

If you’re not factoring breaks into your calculations, you could face compliance penalties. Fair Work Australia allows employees to take paid rest breaks and unpaid meal breaks. A meal break isn’t a condition under the National Employment Standards, so check your awards or agreements. 

Disclaimer: Always refer to your employee agreement, industry award or enterprise agreement for specific conditions.

How to Ensure Compliance With Australian Payroll Laws

Under Fair Work Australia’s guidelines, employers must accurately record start and end times, breaks and overtime.

Using an automatic work hour calculator like QuickBooks Time helps you stay compliant by:

• Tracking in real time
• Recording overtime automatically
• Storing historical timesheets for auditing

Example of a Timesheet Calculation

Here’s what a completed timesheet might look like for an employee working three days a week:

How Does Overtime Impact a Timesheet Calculation?

Overtime hours must be tracked separately from regular hours because they’re paid at a higher rate. The exact rate and when it applies depends on the type of employment, as well as the employee’s award or agreement. It’s important to calculate these hours correctly to stay compliant and avoid underpaying staff.

Here are a few common scenarios where overtime might apply:

• Daily: If an employee works more than 7.6 hours in a single day
• Weekly: If total hours exceed 38 in one week
• Public Holidays or Weekends: These may attract different penalty rates depending on your industry award or enterprise agreement

Learn more about overtime.