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Timesheet Template (Australia)
Fill in start and finish times, breaks are deducted and hours total automatically. Download as Excel or PDF, or print it for signing — nothing leaves your browser.
- Weekly, fortnightly and monthly formats to match your pay cycle
- Captures every field the Fair Work Regulations require
- Excel download keeps working formulas — no Microsoft account needed
General information only, not legal advice. Overtime and break entitlements come from the applicable modern award or enterprise agreement.
Fill in your timesheet
01/01/2024 – 07/01/2024
| Date | Day | Start | Finish | Unpaid break (min) | Hours worked | Payable hours | Additional hours | Job / notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/01/2024 | Mon | |||||||
| 02/01/2024 | Tue | |||||||
| 03/01/2024 | Wed | |||||||
| 04/01/2024 | Thu | |||||||
| 05/01/2024 | Fri | |||||||
| 06/01/2024 | Sat | |||||||
| 07/01/2024 | Sun |
Totals
- Total hours
- 0:00
- Ordinary hours
- 0:00
- Additional hours
- 0:00
- Unpaid breaks
- 0:00
Download or print
The Excel file keeps live formulas for hours worked, payable hours and all totals, so it recalculates when you edit it. Ordinary-versus-additional hours are written as calculated values, because that split depends on your award rather than a fixed formula.
Employee signature
Manager signature
Record-keeping in Australia
Under the Fair Work Act 2009 and Regulation 3.33 of the Fair Work Regulations 2009, employers must make and keep a record of the hours each employee works. Records must be legible, in English, and produced to a Fair Work Inspector on request. The National Employment Standards set 38 ordinary hours a week plus any additional hours that are reasonable; overtime rates, penalty rates and break entitlements come from the applicable modern award or enterprise agreement, not from the Act itself.
Records may be kept on paper or electronically, but they must be legible, in English and readily accessible to a Fair Work Inspector.
What your records must show
- Employee's full name and the employer's name and ABN
- Whether employment is full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary or casual
- The date the employment started
- Start and finish times for each shift
- Total hours worked in the period
- Any penalty rates or loadings paid for overtime hours
- A record of any agreed averaging arrangement
How long to keep it
7 years
Who enforces it
Fair Work Ombudsman
Penalties
Failing to keep or produce records can attract penalties for the business and, since 2017, a reverse onus of proof: without records, an employer must disprove an employee's claim about hours worked.
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Record-keeping requirements(Fair Work Regulations 2009, reg 3.33)
- business.gov.au — Employee records
- Fair Work — Weekly time and wages record template
How to use this timesheet in Australia
Under the Fair Work Act 2009, every Australian employer must keep accurate records of the hours each employee works — and since 2017, if you don't have those records, the reverse onus of proof puts the burden on you to disprove an employee's claim about hours worked. This timesheet template captures exactly what Fair Work Regulation 3.33 requires, with hours and additional hours calculated automatically.
What a timesheet is and why it matters
A timesheet is the day-by-day record of when an employee actually started and finished work, including any unpaid breaks taken. It's distinct from a roster, which only shows planned hours — the timesheet is evidence of what actually happened, and it's what a Fair Work Inspector or the Fair Work Ombudsman will ask to see.
For most employees, the applicable modern award or enterprise agreement — not the Fair Work Act itself — sets overtime rates, penalty rates and specific break entitlements. This tool records the raw hours accurately; the pay rate that applies to those hours depends on the award covering that role.
Record-keeping requirements under the Fair Work Regulations
Regulation 3.33 of the Fair Work Regulations 2009 requires employers to make and keep records showing the hours actually worked by each employee, including any penalty rates or loadings paid for overtime. Records must be legible, in English, and kept for seven years.
The National Employment Standards set 38 ordinary hours a week as the standard, plus any additional hours that are 'reasonable' given the employee's role, personal circumstances and the needs of the workplace — there's no fixed overtime threshold in the Act itself; that comes from the applicable award.
Since amendments in 2017, if an employer doesn't keep the required records, the onus shifts: in a dispute over hours or pay, the employer must produce evidence disproving the employee's account, rather than the employee having to prove their claim.
- Employee's full name and the employer's name and ABN
- Employment type — full-time, part-time, permanent, temporary or casual
- The date employment started
- Start and finish times for each shift
- Total hours worked in the period
- Any penalty rates or loadings paid for overtime hours
How to fill in this timesheet
- 1
Add employee and employer details
Enter the employee's name and the employer/business name at the top — Regulation 3.33 requires both to appear on the record.
- 2
Choose your pay period
Select weekly, fortnightly or monthly to match how the business runs payroll. Weekly is the Fair Work default; many Australian awards are structured around a fortnightly pay cycle.
- 3
Enter start and finish times
Fill in the start and finish time for each shift worked. The tool automatically calculates total hours on site.
- 4
Check or adjust the unpaid break
This tool doesn't assume a fixed break — Australian break entitlements come from the applicable award, not a single national rule. Enter the actual break taken.
- 5
Review additional hours
Hours beyond 38 a week are separated out as additional hours. Because the NES sets no fixed overtime rate, no pay premium is calculated automatically — check your award for the correct penalty or overtime rate to apply.
- 6
Download or print for signing
Export as Excel with live formulas, PDF, or print the sheet for the employee and employer to sign.
Weekly, fortnightly or monthly — which should you use?
Weekly timesheets are the most common in casual and shift-based industries like hospitality and retail, where hours vary week to week and need close tracking.
Fortnightly matches how the majority of Australian awards and payroll cycles are structured, making it the most practical default for most small businesses.
Monthly suits salaried or office-based roles with stable hours, where the detail of a weekly breakdown adds little value.
What generic timesheet templates get wrong for Australia
Most free timesheet templates online are built for a generic US-style 40-hour week with a flat 1.5x overtime rule. Australia doesn't work that way — the NES sets 38 ordinary hours with 'reasonable additional hours', and the actual overtime and penalty rates depend entirely on the modern award covering the role, which this tool deliberately does not assume for you.
The reverse onus of proof introduced in 2017 is rarely mentioned on template pages, even though it's one of the strongest reasons to keep a proper timesheet: without records, the business — not the employee — has to prove what actually happened.
Sources
- Fair Work Ombudsman — Record-keeping requirements(Fair Work Regulations 2009, reg 3.33)
- business.gov.au — Employee records
- Fair Work Ombudsman — National Employment Standards
Timesheet questions, answered
How long do I need to keep employee timesheets in Australia?
Fair Work Regulation 3.33 requires time and wage records to be kept for seven years, whether on paper or electronically.
Does the Fair Work Act set a fixed overtime rate?
No. The National Employment Standards set 38 ordinary hours a week as the standard, but overtime and penalty rates come from the modern award or enterprise agreement covering the employee's role, not from the Act itself.
What happens if I don't keep proper timesheets?
Beyond the risk of a Fair Work Ombudsman penalty, a 2017 amendment means that without adequate records, the employer must disprove the employee's own account of hours worked in any dispute — the reverse onus of proof.
Can I use a spreadsheet instead of dedicated software?
Yes. The Fair Work Regulations don't mandate a specific system — a well-maintained spreadsheet or printed timesheet satisfies the record-keeping requirement as long as it captures every field Regulation 3.33 requires.
Do casual employees need timesheets too?
Yes. The record-keeping obligation applies to every employee regardless of employment type — full-time, part-time, casual or temporary.
What's the difference between a timesheet and a roster?
A roster shows planned hours before a shift happens; a timesheet is the record of hours actually worked. Only the timesheet satisfies the Fair Work record-keeping requirement.
