{"id":89741,"date":"2022-03-03T17:56:22","date_gmt":"2022-03-03T17:56:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/?p=89741"},"modified":"2023-11-05T15:28:43","modified_gmt":"2023-11-05T15:28:43","slug":"timelog-template","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/monday.com\/blog\/task-management\/timelog-template\/","title":{"rendered":"Free timelog\u00a0template to simplify your productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Time slips away so easily. Before you know it, your entire workday is gone, and you barely remember where the time went. To get the upper hand on this, you can use something called a timelog to help you break down and understand where your \u2014 or your staff\u2019s \u2014 time goes.<\/p>\n

In this article, you\u2019ll learn how timelog templates can simplify your time tracking process<\/a> and make you more productive. We\u2019ll also share a simple and customizable timelog template that you can use within monday.com\u2019s powerful Work OS<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Get the template<\/a><\/p>\n

What is a timelog template?<\/h2>\n

A timelog is a type of time tracking tool<\/a>. It\u2019s a chronological record that breaks down someone\u2019s activities using time stamps. Timelog templates simplify the creation of timelogs by giving you a reusable, repeatable framework. The log will start with the earliest activities first and end with the latest ones. Most timelogs include start and end times for each activity. Many will also have a column for the total time spent working on each activity.<\/p>\n

Download Excel template<\/a><\/p>\n

Instead of creating timelogs from scratch, you can start from an existing template and customize it as you need. This lets you create ideal timelogs that work for your team members in a shorter amount of time.<\/p>\n

Why use a timelog template?<\/h2>\n

Timelogs and timelog templates are highly useful productivity systems<\/a>\u00a0for teams who want to improve their time management.\u00a0They give you accurate details on how someone spends their time. Instead of estimating how much employee time goes toward a certain task, timelogs\u00a0allow you to track it objectively.<\/p>\n

But timelogs become much more effective when you start from a high-quality template. A standard template means everyone logs their work hours the same way. This consistency makes the tracked hours a lot more readable and useful for a project manager or executive.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In addition, using timelogs can help you identify where you\u2019re wasting time so you can eliminate \u2014 or automate \u2014 low-value tasks and other time wasters. Plus, because you can understand how much time a task truly takes, these logs simplify project management. You\u2019ll have a much better idea of how to estimate project timelines with real data at your fingertips.<\/p>\n

\"project<\/p>\n

When everyone on the same team uses the same timelog templates, you can also align everyone on the same goals. For example, you can add notes directly in your template to remind colleagues that they shouldn\u2019t spend more than an hour each day on data entry.<\/p>\n

Timelogs also help you provide a professional and detailed summary of work done in your invoices to your clients. With better oversight, you can work towards the desired ratio of billable to non-billable hours. Here\u2019s an example \u2014 if you\u2019re currently doing one billable hour for every non-billable hour, you can aim to get to two billable hours for every non-billable hour, thus increasing profitability. But you can only achieve this if your team knows where their time is going.<\/p>\n

What are some examples of timelog templates?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s explore some real use cases for different types of time log\u00a0templates in a business.<\/p>\n

Hourly billing and invoicing templates<\/h3>\n

Creating detailed invoices from scratch can be a pain. It unnecessarily drains resources from your accounting department<\/a> that could be redirected towards more productive outlets. But when your team uses a time log template to create a detailed account of the number of hours they\u2019ve worked, it saves accounting a lot of trouble. Those timelogs\u00a0provide a breakdown of work done for billable hours.<\/p>\n

You can easily add those details to an invoice. With the right platform \u2014 like monday.com \u2014 in your arsenal, your accounting department could even automate the workflow so that timelogs automatically convert to invoices.<\/p>\n

\"invoicing<\/p>\n

(Image Source<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Overtime tracking templates<\/h3>\n

Depending on the policies in your business, you need to handle overtime hours carefully. Some teams have strict guidelines on what calls for overtime hours and what doesn\u2019t. For example, in some businesses, low-stake tasks shouldn\u2019t make someone go over their regular hours. Plus, many industries have strict regulations for how many hours of overtime an employee can work.<\/p>\n

So how do you keep track of what work is getting done during overtime hours? A detailed timesheet template<\/a>\u00a0can help. Because team members need to specify the\u00a0start time and end time\u00a0for a task, they\u2019re detailed enough to let you know exactly where overtime hours go.<\/p>\n

monday.com\u2019s timelog template<\/h2>\n

Making a customized timelog that any team in your business can use takes a lot of work. And although there are tons of templates online, most of them are difficult to customize to your needs.<\/p>\nBut there\u2019s no need to create a timelog from scratch or try to mess around with clunky spreadsheets. With monday.com\u2019s timelog template, you can track and view employee hours right inside your digital workspace.<\/span><\/a>\n

\"Screenshot<\/p>\n

By logging your time directly in a flexible Work OS, you can easily:<\/p>\n