Can a timesheet be e-signed?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA where adopted, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements are met.

What if a manager misses approval?

Late approvals may delay pay runs; employers sometimes process off-cycle payments. Follow your company escalation policy to resolve missing manager approvals before payroll cutoff.

How long should timesheets be kept?

Retain payroll and timesheet records at least three years to meet IRS and FLSA baselines; extend retention for industry or state requirements and HIPAA-related records as applicable.

Are handwritten corrections allowed?

Handwritten changes are acceptable if authorized and initialed by the employee and approver, but digital audit trails provide stronger evidence and reduce dispute risks.

What authentication is recommended?

Use organization-level authentication such as SSO or two-factor for submitters and approvers to strengthen attribution and support regulatory audits.

Who can sign a timesheet?

The employee and an authorized supervisor or manager should sign or e-sign. Delegated approvers must be documented in company policy to ensure valid approvals.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Biweekly Timesheet

Biweekly Timesheet

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

What a Biweekly Timesheet Is and When It’s Used

A Biweekly Timesheet is a recurring payroll document employees use to record hours worked over a two-week pay period. It captures regular hours, overtime, paid leave, and other hour-based adjustments so payroll can calculate gross pay. Employers use biweekly timesheets to ensure accurate wage calculations, track labor for projects or cost centers, and maintain records for tax and labor compliance. Properly completed timesheets create an auditable record used for payroll processing, wage reporting, and resolving pay disputes between employees and employers.

Why a Clear Biweekly Timesheet Matters

A consistent biweekly timesheet reduces payroll errors, supports FLSA compliance, and improves recordkeeping for audits and year-end reporting.

Who Completes and Reviews a Biweekly Timesheet

Employees enter hours and job codes; managers review and approve before payroll processing.

Hourly employees record daily start/stop times and break deductions for accurate payroll
Supervisors verify hours, approve exceptions, and confirm project or cost-center allocations
Payroll administrators process approved timesheets, run validations, and prepare pay runs

Step-by-step: Completing and Submitting Your Timesheet

Follow these steps each pay period to ensure accurate, timely payroll processing and approval.

01

Enter hours: Record daily and total hours for the two-week period.
02

Classify time: Mark overtime, vacation, sick, or other paid leave accurately.
03

Attach notes: Add explanations for exceptions, missed punches, or schedule changes.
04

Submit for approval: Send to your supervisor before the payroll cutoff date.

Core Elements of a Professional Biweekly Timesheet

A well-structured timesheet reduces disputes and supports payroll automation. Include clear sections for identification, daily entries, totals, approvals, and audit metadata.

Identification

Employee name, employee ID, department, and pay period clearly displayed to match payroll records and facilitate accurate posting.

Daily entries

Daily start/stop or total hours with break deductions and codes for project or cost-center allocation to support billing and job costing.

Overtime tracking

Separate fields for overtime and premium pay rates, with calculation logic or notes to ensure FLSA-compliant compensation.

Leave reporting

Sections for vacation, sick, jury duty, and other paid or unpaid leave with reason codes and supporting documentation if required.

Manager approval

Designated signature, printed name, and date for supervisor approval to create an auditable permission record before payroll runs.

Audit data

Timestamps, submitter IP or device ID, and version or revision history to support compliance and internal audits.

Essential Data Fields to Include

Employee Name: Full legal name

Employee ID: Company identifier

Pay Period: Start and end dates

Hours Worked: Regular and overtime

Approval: Manager signature/date

Job Code: Project or cost center

Where to Send a Completed Biweekly Timesheet

Routing varies by employer; use the designated manager, HR, or payroll inbox and follow stated cutoffs to meet pay runs.

Manager: First approver who verifies hours and job codes.
Payroll: Final processor that imports approved timesheets for pay calculation.
HR: Holds records for benefits and personnel audits.
Self-service portal: Employee-submitted route for digital approval and tracking.

Configuring an Online Biweekly Timesheet Workflow

Common online settings reduce manual work and ensure consistent approvals across pay periods.

Field	Configuration
Auto-totals	Enable automatic daily and period totals to reduce calculation errors
Manager routing	Set role-based approval chain and escalation rules
Authentication	Require single sign-on or two-factor for submission
Notifications	Email or SMS alerts for pending approvals and missed deadlines

Technical Options for Sharing and Signing Timesheets

Choose a platform that supports secure file formats, integrations, and auditable signing methods.

File formats: PDF and DOCX are widely supported
Integrations: Common integrations include Salesforce, NetSuite, and Google Workspace
Authentication: Email, SMS, or SSO options for signer verification

Typical Submission and Processing Deadlines

Timesheet schedules affect payroll cutoff, approval windows, and final pay dates. Follow employer policies to avoid delayed payment.

Timesheet due:

Usually 24–72 hours after period end; company policy varies

Manager approval cutoff:

Often 24–48 hours before payroll processing begins

Payroll processing:

Runs after approvals; lead time depends on payroll provider

Pay date:

Set payroll date per employer schedule and state wage law

Tax reporting:

Year-end reporting follows IRS timelines and payroll records

Key Milestones in the Biweekly Timesheet Cycle

A predictable milestone sequence helps employees, managers, and payroll meet processing windows and compliance checks.

01

Period Opens

Timesheet period start; employees begin recording hours

02

Period Closes

Last day employees enter hours for that pay period

03

Manager Approval

Supervisor reviews and signs off on reported time

04

Payroll Run

Payroll imports approved data and issues pay

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Rounding hours inconsistently across days, resulting in overtime misallocation and payroll disputes
Failing to code hours to the correct project or cost center, which skews billing and internal reporting
Submitting timesheets after the payroll cutoff, causing delayed pay or off-cycle corrections
Incomplete approvals or missing manager signatures that force payroll to hold or reverse payments

Risks When Timesheets Are Incorrect

Wage Claims: Underpayment exposures and FLSA disputes

Tax Reporting: Incorrect withholding and filing inaccuracies

Overtime Errors: Potential back-pay and premium pay liabilities

Audit Findings: Noncompliance notes from labor audits

Operational Impact: Project cost misstatements and billing disputes

Recordkeeping Gaps: Missing evidence for investigations or litigation

eSignature Pricing and Feature Comparison for Timesheet Workflows

Compare starting prices and key feature differences for common eSignature vendors used to collect biweekly timesheet approvals.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Verify with vendor	Verify with vendor	Verify with vendor	Verify with vendor
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Varies by plan
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Verify with vendor	Verify with vendor	Verify with vendor

Real-world Examples of Timesheet Digitization

Organizations across sectors report improved speed and recordkeeping after moving to digital timesheet workflows.

Optica Ventures LLC — Brian Fitzgibbons

Optica digitalized timesheets to reduce manual entry and errors.

Implementation simplified approvals across teams.
The interface was simple for the team and customers, enabling consistent submission and faster payroll reconciliation while preserving audit trails for finance and HR.

Martin Properties — Tim Martin

A real estate firm replaced paper timesheets for on-site staff.

Field teams submitted hours from mobile devices.
The firm processed and executed payroll online with compliance and security, reducing off-cycle corrections and improving payroll accuracy for property staff.

Frequently Asked Questions About Biweekly Timesheets

Answers to common questions about completing, approving, and storing biweekly timesheets, including digital signing and legal considerations.

Need help? Contact support

Can a timesheet be e-signed?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. §7001) and UETA where adopted, provided intent, consent, attribution, and retention requirements are met.
What if a manager misses approval?
Late approvals may delay pay runs; employers sometimes process off-cycle payments. Follow your company escalation policy to resolve missing manager approvals before payroll cutoff.
How long should timesheets be kept?
Retain payroll and timesheet records at least three years to meet IRS and FLSA baselines; extend retention for industry or state requirements and HIPAA-related records as applicable.
Are handwritten corrections allowed?
Handwritten changes are acceptable if authorized and initialed by the employee and approver, but digital audit trails provide stronger evidence and reduce dispute risks.
What authentication is recommended?
Use organization-level authentication such as SSO or two-factor for submitters and approvers to strengthen attribution and support regulatory audits.
Who can sign a timesheet?
The employee and an authorized supervisor or manager should sign or e-sign. Delegated approvers must be documented in company policy to ensure valid approvals.

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