How do I correct a submitted log?

If a log was submitted in error, follow your employer's correction procedure: notify your supervisor, submit a corrected entry with an explanation, and retain both versions for audit purposes.

Can I sign electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures satisfy ESIGN and UETA when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are present; ensure your employer's platform preserves an audit trail.

What if my hours are disputed?

Keep contemporaneous notes and any supporting documentation. Employers should investigate promptly and retain both employee and employer statements during resolution.

Are notarization or witnesses required?

Not for routine weekly logs. Notarization and witness requirements apply to specific legal documents, not standard time records in most jurisdictions.

How long will my employer keep logs?

Federal law requires retaining payroll and time records for at least 3 years (29 CFR §516.5); employers may keep records longer by policy or state requirement.

What formats should I save the log in?

Save finalized logs in non-editable PDF/A when possible; retain original signed copies and system-generated audit trails for compliance and retrieval.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee Weekly Log

Employee Weekly Log

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

EMPLOYEE WEEKLY LOG

Personal Information

Full Name Home Address

Phone

Email

Position Information

Job Title Department Reporting Manager

Start Date:

Salary (or Hourly Rate):

Weekly Time Entries

Week Beginning: Week Ending:

Monday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Tuesday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Wednesday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Thursday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Friday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Saturday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Sunday

Date:

Start:

End:

Break (mins):

Hours:

Project Code:

Billable

Weekly Totals & Leave

Regular Hours:

Overtime Hours:

Total Hours:

Vacation Hours:

Sick Hours:

Other Leave:

Overtime & Approval

Overtime worked requires prior authorization by the reporting manager unless otherwise provided by policy. Overtime claimed on this log is subject to verification and adjustment by payroll.

Overtime Authorized Yes No

Administrative Notices

I certify that the hours recorded on this Weekly Log are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. Falsification, omission, or misrepresentation of time worked is cause for disciplinary action up to and including termination.

At-Will Employment: Employment with the Company is at-will and may be terminated by either party at any time with or without cause, unless expressly modified in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized Company officer.

Equal Opportunity: The Company is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to protected characteristics.

Employment History

Provide two most recent prior employers for verification purposes.

Employer 1 - Company Name Employer 1 - Job Title

From:

To:

Employer 1 - Responsibilities Employer 1 - Reason for Leaving Employer 2 - Company Name Employer 2 - Job Title

From:

To:

Employer 2 - Responsibilities Employer 2 - Reason for Leaving

Education

Degree Institution Graduation Date

References

Provide three professional references who can verify your prior work performance.

Reference 1 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship:

Reference 2 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship:

Reference 3 - Name

Phone:

Email:

Relationship:

Certifications & Authorizations

I certify that all information provided on this Weekly Log and in the Employment History and Education sections is true and complete. I understand that false statements or omissions may result in corrective action up to and including termination.

I certify that all information provided is true and complete.

Authorization to Contact: By signing below I authorize the Company to contact prior employers and references, and to conduct background and employment verification checks consistent with Company policy.

I authorize contact and background verification as described above.

Additional Notes

Employee Printed Name:

By:

Date:

Supervisor Printed Name:

By:

Date:

What an Employee Weekly Log Records

An Employee Weekly Log is a standardized record that tracks an employee's work hours, job codes, tasks, breaks, and approvals for a single workweek. It documents regular and overtime hours, project or client allocations, and any paid or unpaid leave. Employers use the log to calculate payroll, verify attendance, and maintain wage-and-hour compliance; employees use it to confirm hours worked before submission. The log may be paper-based or digital and should include signatory fields for the employee and the approving supervisor.

Why a Complete Weekly Log Matters

Accurate weekly logs support correct payroll, protect against wage disputes, and satisfy regulatory recordkeeping requirements under federal and state labor laws.

Who Completes and Reviews the Weekly Log

Employees, supervisors, and payroll or HR staff typically interact with the Employee Weekly Log at different stages of the process.

Employees: enter daily start/stop times, break periods, job codes, and total hours for the week before signing.
Supervisors: verify hours, confirm completed tasks or job codes, and sign to approve hours for payroll.
Payroll/HR: reconcile submitted logs with timekeeping systems, apply taxes, and retain copies for compliance.

Clear assignment of roles reduces errors and shortens payroll processing cycles.

Essential Sections to Include in a Professional Weekly Log

A complete Employee Weekly Log groups employee identifiers, detailed daily time entries, job or project codes, time-off entries, signatures, and supervisor approval. Use clear labels and consistent formats to prevent ambiguity during payroll reconciliation and compliance review.

Employee Information

Full legal name, employee ID, department, and primary contact so payroll and HR can match records without ambiguity.

Daily Time Entries

One row per day with start time, end time, break durations, and computed total hours for accurate overtime and attendance calculations.

Job / Project Codes

A code or description for the task or client per entry to allocate labor costs and support client billing where applicable.

Leave and Exceptions

Clear fields for sick leave, vacation, paid/unpaid leave, and reason codes; include supporting authorization where required.

Signatures and Dates

Employee signature/date and supervisor signature/date fields to evidence review and approval for payroll processing.

Payroll Use Notes

Fields for payroll clerks to record payroll ID, pay period, and any manual adjustments made during reconciliation.

Step-by-Step: Completing and Submitting the Log

Follow these sequential steps each week to ensure accurate recording and timely payroll inclusion.

01

1. Gather Records: Collect daily notes, timecard entries, and any exception approvals.
02

2. Enter Daily Times: Record start, end, and break times for each day in the pay period.
03

3. Review and Sign: Verify totals, sign the log, and date your signature.
04

4. Submit for Approval: Send to your supervisor or upload to the designated payroll system before the cutoff.

Digital Workflow Settings for Online Submission

Configure your digital form and routing rules to match internal approval and payroll timelines.

Field	Configuration
Submission Method	Employee uploads or completes online form
Approval Order	Employee → Supervisor → Payroll
Authentication	Email link or single-factor login
Retention	Auto-archive to HR folder after payroll processing

Online Submission Flow at a Glance

A simple, consistent digital flow speeds approvals and preserves an audit trail for compliance and payroll.

Prepare: Employee completes the log and verifies totals.
Authenticate: Sign electronically using assigned account or secure link.
Approve: Supervisor reviews and signs off on reported hours.
Archive: Payroll reconciles and the system archives the final record.

Technical and Integration Considerations

Choose a platform that supports secure signing, preserves audit trails, and integrates with payroll or HR systems.

File Formats: PDF and DOCX accepted for fillable forms
Integrations: Connects to payroll/HR systems like NetSuite, ADP, or Microsoft 365
Authentication: Supports email links, SMS codes, and SSO

Integration with existing HR or payroll software reduces manual data entry and improves accuracy.

Common Errors to Avoid

Submitting incomplete daily entries or omitting break times, which causes payroll mismatches and may trigger manual corrections that delay paychecks.
Using inconsistent time formats (mixing 24-hour and AM/PM) or rounding hours improperly, which can overstate or understate actual paid time.
Failing to sign or date the log before submission, which can invalidate the approval and require resubmission and supervisor follow-up.
Recording incorrect job or project codes, resulting in misallocated labor costs and disputes over billable hours with clients or internal cost centers.

Regulatory Risks of Inaccurate Time Records

FLSA Recordkeeping: Maintain 3 years (29 CFR §516.5)

I-9 Retention: Retain per 8 CFR §274a.2

Payroll Penalties: State fines for underpayment

Civil Liability: Overtime claims and backpay exposure

Audit Risk: Inaccurate records increase audit likelihood

Loss of Trust: Employee disputes and morale impact

Typical Submission and Payroll Cutoff Deadlines

Establish and communicate clear weekly deadlines so entries appear in the correct pay period and avoid late adjustments.

Weekly Submission Cutoff:

Employee entries due by last business day of the payweek

Supervisor Approval Deadline:

Approvals due 48 hours before payroll cutoff

Payroll Processing Window:

Processing begins immediately after supervisor approvals

Correction Window:

Corrections accepted until payroll finalization

Record Retention Start:

Retention clock begins on date payroll is processed

Weekly Processing Milestones

Key stages in timely payroll inclusion run from employee entry through payroll archiving; meet each milestone to avoid delays.

01

Entry Complete

Employee submits completed log for the week.

02

Manager Review

Supervisor validates hours and job codes.

03

Payroll Reconciliation

Payroll team reconciles time entries with system data.

04

Archive and Store

Finalized record archived for retention and audit.

eSignature Pricing and Feature Snapshot

Compare common vendor starting prices and select features relevant to signing and retaining Employee Weekly Logs; signNow appears first in the vendor column ordering.

	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	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Recommended Security and Compliance Elements

Encryption: TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit; AES-256 at rest

Audit Trail: Timestamped logs with signer attribution

Access Controls: Role-based access and SSO support

HIPAA Support: BAA available for covered entities

ESIGN / UETA: Compliant with federal and most state laws

21 CFR Part 11: Support for FDA-regulated digital records

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about completing, signing, storing, and correcting Employee Weekly Logs.

Need help? Contact support

How do I correct a submitted log?
If a log was submitted in error, follow your employer's correction procedure: notify your supervisor, submit a corrected entry with an explanation, and retain both versions for audit purposes.
Can I sign electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures satisfy ESIGN and UETA when intent, consent, attribution, and retention are present; ensure your employer's platform preserves an audit trail.
What if my hours are disputed?
Keep contemporaneous notes and any supporting documentation. Employers should investigate promptly and retain both employee and employer statements during resolution.
Are notarization or witnesses required?
Not for routine weekly logs. Notarization and witness requirements apply to specific legal documents, not standard time records in most jurisdictions.
How long will my employer keep logs?
Federal law requires retaining payroll and time records for at least 3 years (29 CFR §516.5); employers may keep records longer by policy or state requirement.
What formats should I save the log in?
Save finalized logs in non-editable PDF/A when possible; retain original signed copies and system-generated audit trails for compliance and retrieval.

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