Time Recording Excel Template: How to Legally Record Your Times in Excel

1. Why timekeeping is important and how it works
2. What challenges are there in timekeeping with Excel?
3. At the beginning, you can design the head of your timesheet as you like. In our example, the name, the period, the target working hours, the monthly hours, the vacation days, and the last update are here. You should fix these lines so that they are visible to the editor even when scrolling down.
4. Was du bei der Zeiterfassung mit Excel beachten solltest
5. Diese Tools kannst du alternativ für die Zeiterfassung nutzen
6. Fazit: Zeiterfassung mit Excel ist möglich, aber selten empfehlenswert

Companies must increasingly consider laws and guidelines. This takes time and nerves. No wonder if you're wondering why you should use a new tool to record your working hours. After all, it works just as well in Excel.

This article helps you find out if timekeeping in Excel is really the best solution for you. Instructions on how to create the corresponding template as well as a completed Excel template for download can also be found here.

Why timekeeping is important and how it works

The usefulness of timekeeping has been known for a long time, however it has only become a duty for many since the timekeeping judgment in September 2022. This requires companies to record the times of their employees. This includes working, break, and absence times. In this way, employers ensure compliance with legal regulations. In addition, timekeeping protects employees from overloading due to overtime.Timekeeping offers many benefits to employers and employees:Flexible working hours and locations: Employees work when they are most productive. This also increases your attractiveness as an employer.Transparency: You can rest assured that your employees are sticking to agreements. In addition, your accounting has a basis for wage and salary statements and your order processing for resource planning.Measurability and Comparability: You can constantly monitor budgets and resources and calculate recurring tasks more easily.

Verifiability and planning security: You comply with your labor law regulations and save yourself annoying misunderstandings and discussions.

• Is timekeeping with Excel meaningful?In certain situations, timekeeping in Excel may be sufficient. In most cases, however, the use of a timekeeping tool is the better alternative.
• What are the advantages of timekeeping in Excel?There's a reason we love to use Excel. The spreadsheet program offers two (ostensible) advantages.
• CostDoes timekeeping in Excel cost you anything? Probably an MS Office package is already installed on your PC or laptop. At first glance, timekeeping in Excel therefore seems free. Why acquisition costs are not the main point, you will learn in the following paragraphs.
• FlexibilityDesigns, formulas, macros, forms, and pivot tables - in Excel you can implement almost anything you want. That is definitely a big plus.

What challenges are there in timekeeping with Excel?

Actually, that's already the end of the (theoretical) advantages. These are faced with a few key (practical) challenges.

Limited access

Excel has several weaknesses in terms of accessibility. For example, multiple people cannot work in the current version at the same time. Even a rotating workplace can cause problems: the current Excel file might be on the PC in the office, while you want to record your times in the home office or at the exhibition stand. A timekeeping tool allows anytime, anywhere access for anyone with the appropriate access permission.

No automation

Timekeeping and monitoring are done manually in Excel. With a timekeeping tool, you can automate entire processes (e.g., recording working hours and applying for vacations) and keep control without manual intervention.

Data backup

To prevent data loss, you must come up with a backup strategy for timekeeping in Excel. This task is eliminated with a timekeeping tool because it automatically secures your data.

Complexity

Flexibility often creates complexity, which can then be your undoing. Mistakes creep in, you lose valuable time due to adjustments, and the simultaneous use of an Excel file by multiple people causes chaos.

Studies show that a staggering nine out of ten spreadsheets are faulty.

Resource Intensive

Of course, the amount of time spent depends on how familiar your employees are with Excel tables. But even in a young team that grew up with MS Office, accidental typing errors can destroy formulas or references, or cause inexplicable inconsistencies. If people are transferring times from manual timesheets to the Excel table, transfer errors can also happen. Correcting these errors can be very tedious and time-consuming. That's why you should take a second - critical - look at the cost factor at this point. In a timekeeping tool, timekeeping is done in just a few clicks.

Intransparent

Timekeeping with Excel is not without reason considered intransparent and risky. It can always lead to mistrust and verbal conflicts between employees and employers. Ultimately, it's word against word. Excel only documents the working hours typed in afterwards by employees, while a timekeeping tool electronically records the actual working hours.

Who is suitable for timekeeping with Excel?

Although the disadvantages outweigh in quantity, timekeeping in Excel may be worthwhile for your company - for example, if you employ very few employees and only want to record the times for legal reasons. Otherwise - especially for Excel-inexperienced employees - we recommend you to use a timekeeping tool. Some software developers offer their timekeeping tools completely free of charge!

How does timekeeping work with an Excel template?You have two ways to implement your timekeeping with Excel: Either create your own template or simply download our free Excel template for timekeeping.Option 1: Create Excel template for timekeeping yourself

Your timekeeping should contain a spreadsheet where you can record all working, break, and absence times. Depending on the Excel version you are using, the individual points in the following instruction may vary slightly from your view in your Excel version.

Step 1: Create a table

Open Excel sheet

Head title: Timekeeping, Employee, Period, Target Working Hours per Day, Monthly Hours, Vacation Days, Sick Days, Last Update

Give headers to the columns of line 10: Date, Start, End, Break, Total Working Time (hh:mm), Total Working Time (Number), Absence and Overtime and Minus Hours

Enter date in cell A11Hold down cell A11 at the bottom right and drag downStep 2: Manually format cells

At the beginning, you can design the head of your timesheet as you like. In our example, the name, the period, the target working hours, the monthly hours, the vacation days, and the last update are here. You should fix these lines so that they are visible to the editor even when scrolling down.

Mark rows > 'View' tab > 'Freeze Panes' button > 'Freeze Panes'With the key combination 'CTRL + 1' you open a window where you can format the cells of your Excel template.Mark cell A11 > Key combination 'CTRL +1' > Category 'Custom' > 'Date' > 'OK'

You can also highlight the weekends in your list in color.

Mark spreadsheet (key combination 'CTRL + A') > 'Start' tab > 'Conditional Formatting' button > 'New Rule' tab > 'Use formula to determine the cells to be formatted' > Text input field at 'Format values for which this formula is true': '=WEEKDAY($A10;2)>=6' > 'Formatting' tab > 'Fill' tab > Choose color for Saturdays and Sundays > 'OK' > 'OK'

Step 3: Apply formulas

1. Now you can lay out formulas so that Excel automatically calculates your number of hours (total working time).
2. =(C11-B11-D11) > 'ENTER'
3. If you hold down the cell at the bottom right with your cursor and drag it down, the formula transfers to the corresponding cells.
4. To have Excel consider overtimes and less hours, you should change the format of your hour number. In our example, we supplement the column 'F'. First multiply the working hours by 24 in F11 and then adjust the formatting.
5. =F11 * 24 > 'ENTER'
    

right mouse click in 'F11' > 'format cells' > Category 'Number' > 'OK'
 

Now also pull the formatting for this column from cell 'F11' down.

You can use drop-down fields in the Excel table. This is suitable, for example, for the selection of the absence reason.

Mark column 'E11' > 'Data' tab > Data Tools > 'Data Validation' button > 'Settings' tab > Validity Criteria 'Allow' > 'List' Option. > Remove checkmark 'Ignore empty cells' > Dialog field 'Source' > e.g., 'U/K;Mobile Office;External training courses' > 'OK'

The German Working Time Act places certain limits on the maximum working time per day. As a rule, this corresponds to eight hours (Section 3, ArbZG). In your Excel table you can enter your desired hours in the head and then compare them with the entered working hours.

Mark column H11 > 'Format Cells' button > Custom

"[hh]:mm"

File > 'Options' > 'Advanced' > 'Use 1904 date values when calculating this workbook' set check mark > 'OK'

=E11-$D$4
 

Also, transfer this formula as usual to all other cells of the column.

. 

Last but not least, you can have Excel calculate the total number of your overtime and less hours.

=SUM(H11:H41)

You can format your Excel table as you like, create macros and insert a logo. You can copy the individual spreadsheets month by month.

Download free Excel template for timekeeping

Do you want to get started right away? Then don't waste time creating a template. Simply download our free Excel template for timekeeping! It includes everything you need to keep track of your working hours - no more and no less.

What you should consider when timekeeping with Excel

Timekeeping with Excel gives your employees more leeway than a timekeeping tool. Therefore, you should create a manual to make sure all legal requirements are met and each editor documents their times in the same way.

Checklist:Record the actual working hours (start, duration, end, hours extra and breaks).Define who controls the data in which way (e.g. the number of hours extra).

Keep an eye on your labor and collective law employer obligations and changes in law concerning the handling of personal data.

Include your works council in creating your manual (according to § 87 Para. 1 No. 6 BetrVG, it has co-determination rights when introducing systems for timekeeping. It refers to practical implementation, not choice of system).

Check with your financial authority that it accepts timekeeping in Excel as an evidence document.These tools can be used as an alternative for timekeepingAs you now know, timekeeping with Excel is rarely the most effective and safest choice in most cases. If you're still unsure, check out our new OMR Reviews Software Guide. Here you'll find a large selection of timekeeping tools in a direct comparison. Alternatively, you can jump right to the seven best apps for timekeeping - we're not claiming that, it's the conclusion of the OMR Community.

Conclusion: Timekeeping with Excel is possible, but rarely recommended.

If you don't just want to record your times right at the workplace, but also the timekeeping of remote, mobile and home office employees as well as project timekeeping, productivity measurement, and data synchronization with your accounting software, an Excel template won't be enough.

We know how tempting the seeming simplicity of Excel can be. But often things are not what they seem. You only find out which software is really simple and intuitive by 'learning by doing'. We recommend doing the self-test: Compare the recording of your working hours in Excel and in a timekeeping tool. Feel free to share your experience with us and the entire OMR community.

Du willst lieber direkt loslegen? Dann verliere keine Zeit durch die Erstellung einer Vorlage. Lade dir einfach unsere kostenlose Excel-Vorlage zur Zeiterfassung herunter! Sie beinhaltet alles, was du brauchst, um deine Arbeitszeiten zu erfassen – nicht mehr und nicht weniger.

Was du bei der Zeiterfassung mit Excel beachten solltest

Die Zeiterfassung mit Excel bietet deinen Mitarbeiter*innen mehr Spielraum als ein Zeiterfassungstool. Deshalb solltest du eine Anleitung erstellen, um sicherzugehen, dass alle rechtlichen Anforderungen eingehalten werden und jede*r Bearbeiter*in ihre bzw. seine Zeiten auf die gleiche Weise dokumentiert. 

Checkliste:

1. Erfasse die tatsächlichen Arbeitszeiten (Beginn, Dauer und Ende, Überstunden und Pausen).
2. Definiere, wer auf welche Art die Daten kontrolliert (z. B. die Anzahl der Überstunden).
3. Behalte deine arbeits- und tarifrechtlichen Arbeitgeberverpflichtungen und Gesetzesänderungen zum Umgang mit personenbezogenen Daten im Blick.
4. Beziehe deinen Betriebsrat in die Erstellung deiner Anleitung mit ein (laut § 87 Abs., 1 Nr. 6, Betriebsverfassungsgesetz hat er ein Mitbestimmungsrecht bei der Einführung von Systemen zur Arbeitszeiterfassung. Es bezieht sich auf die Umsetzung in der Praxis, nicht auf die Wahl des Systems).
5. Vergewissere dich bei deiner Finanzbehörde, dass sie die Zeiterfassung in Excel als Nachweisdokument anerkennt.

Diese Tools kannst du alternativ für die Zeiterfassung nutzen

Wie du jetzt weißt, ist eine Zeiterfassung mit Excel in den wenigsten Fällen die effektivste und sicherste Wahl. Wenn du dir noch unsicher bist, schau doch in unserem neuen OMR Reviews Softwareguide vorbei. Hier findest du eine große Auswahl an Zeiterfassungstools im direkten Vergleich. Alternativ kannst du direkt zu den sieben besten Apps zur Zeiterfassung springen – das behaupten übrigens nicht wir, das ist das Fazit der OMR Community.

Fazit: Zeiterfassung mit Excel ist möglich, aber selten empfehlenswert

Falls du nicht nur direkt am Arbeitsplatz deine Zeiten erfassen möchtest, sondern auch die Arbeitszeiterfassung von Remote-, Mobile- und Homeoffice-Mitarbeiter*innen sowie die Projektzeiterfassung, die Produktivitätsmessung und die Datensynchronisation mit deiner Buchhaltungssoftware für dich eine Rolle spielen, wird eine Excel-Vorlage nicht ausreichen.

Wir wissen, wie verlockend die scheinbare Einfachheit von Excel sein kann. Doch oft trügt der Schein. Welche Software wirklich einfach und intuitiv ist, findest du nur durch „Learning by Doing“ heraus. Wir empfehlen dir den Selbsttest: Erfasse deine Arbeitszeiten vergleichsweise in Excel und in einem Zeiterfassungstool. Teile gerne deine Erfahrung mit uns und der gesamten OMR Community.