Employee identifiers
Include full legal name, employee or payroll ID, department, and job title so payroll and HR systems can match records reliably.
Accurate Employee Workhour Reports support compliant payroll processing, reduce wage disputes, and provide documentation needed for audits and labor-law inquiries.
Typical users and signers of Employee Workhour Reports include payroll specialists, HR staff, supervisors, and the employees reporting time.
Clear role assignment speeds approval, prevents duplicate entries, and ensures authoritative sign-off for payroll and compliance purposes.
Include full legal name, employee or payroll ID, department, and job title so payroll and HR systems can match records reliably.
Clearly display the pay period start and end dates in MM/DD/YYYY format so hours apply to the correct payroll cycle and tax period.
Provide per-day start and end times, break durations, and an optional notes column for exceptions, shift differentials, or split shifts.
Show regular and overtime totals calculated by clear rules; document the overtime threshold and any rounding conventions used.
Include a signed approval block with approver name, title, date, and an electronic signature or notarization field if required by policy.
Record submission timestamps, editor identity, and change history to support internal audits and labor compliance reviews.
| Field | Configuration |
|---|---|
| Employee Name | Required | exact match to payroll |
| Pay Period | Required | MM/DD/YYYY validation |
| Time Entry | HH:MM AM/PM | auto-calc totals |
| Approver | Email required | 2FA option |
| Signature | E-sign allowed | audit trail |
Choose a platform that supports common file formats, strong authentication, and integrations to payroll or HR systems.
Submit approved reports before payroll cutoff each pay period for timely processing.
Deposit schedules vary by employer; follow IRS deposit rules to avoid penalties.
Provide W-2 forms to employees by Jan 31 each year.
Retain I-9s 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later (8 CFR §274a.2).
Keep payroll records for a minimum of 3 years (29 CFR §516.5).
Employees log hours during the pay period.
Submit completed report before the internal cutoff.
Supervisor verifies and signs submitted entries.
Payroll team imports approved reports for payment.
| Criteria | Paper | Electronic |
|---|---|---|
| Remote submission | ||
| eSignature validity | n/a | |
| Audit trail | manual | automatic |
| Auto calculations |
| 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 vendor | Varies by vendor | Varies by vendor | Varies by vendor |
| Bulk Send | Yes (Business Premium+) | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan | Varies by plan |
| Audit Trail | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA Compliant | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Martin Properties moved to online reports to eliminate paper bottlenecks and reduce processing time.
A healthcare provider standardized time capture across clinics to support complex shift patterns.
Payroll managers have authority to receive, validate, and process approved workhour reports. They ensure alignment with payroll schedules, check tax withholding codes, and initiate payments. For electronic approvals they should be assigned an administrative role with access to audit trails and export functions to reconcile payroll ledger entries.
Supervisors verify the accuracy of time entries for their direct reports, confirm shift and overtime legitimacy, and provide the approving signature. Their approval is the primary attestation that hours are correct and must be supported by an identifiable e-signature or manual signature as required by employer policy.