Can this be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures are legally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA when the signer demonstrates intent, consents to an electronic transaction, attribution is established, and the record can be retained and reproduced.

What retention period applies?

Retain timesheets three years under FLSA guidance (29 CFR §516.5) and tax-related documents at least three years per IRS guidance (IRC §6501(a)). HIPAA-covered records require six years (45 CFR §164.530(j)). State law may require longer retention.

Who must sign evaluations?

Typically both the manager and employee sign. HR may countersign for recordkeeping. Signatures should show intent and include dates; electronic signatures must generate an audit trail capturing identity, timestamp, and authentication method used.

What if hours were entered incorrectly?

Promptly follow an amendment workflow: employee submits correction, manager reviews and documents the rationale, HR approves and the revised entry is re-signed. Preserve prior versions in the audit trail for dispute resolution.

Can evaluations include health information?

Include medical or health details only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. Health-related information may be protected under HIPAA and require a BAA with the eSignature vendor and strict access controls.

Are notarization or witnesses required?

Routine timesheets and performance evaluations generally do not require notarization or witnesses. Specific legal instruments or state-specific attestations may require notarization; consult counsel before notarizing employment records.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation

Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation

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

What the Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation Records Are

An Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation is a combined HR record that documents hours worked, leave and pay-related data alongside periodic assessments of job performance, goals and competencies. Employers use the timesheet portion to support payroll, overtime calculations and compliance with wage-and-hour laws, while the evaluation portion records supervisory feedback, performance ratings and development plans. In the United States these records may be maintained electronically and signed under ESIGN and UETA frameworks, provided intent, attribution and retention requirements are met. Accurate, contemporaneous entries support audits, payroll accuracy and personnel decisions.

Why combining timekeeping with evaluations matters

Combining timesheet data with performance evaluations centralizes payroll evidence and performance history, reducing administrative duplication and improving audit readiness. The integrated record helps employers meet wage-and-hour obligations, document personnel decisions, and support compliant retention and reporting practices.

Who completes and relies on these combined records

Human resources, payroll administrators, managers and auditors rely on combined timesheet and performance records for accurate pay and personnel decisions.

HR administrators: compile evaluations, reconcile time records, and manage retention schedules.
Managers: verify hours, assess performance, and document corrective actions or development plans.
Payroll specialists: process hours, calculate overtime, and prepare payroll reports for tax filing.

Step-by-step: completing the combined timesheet and evaluation

Complete the combined timesheet and evaluation accurately to ensure correct payroll, compliance, and clear performance records for reviews and audits.

01

Enter Hours: Record daily start/stop times, overtime, and leave in MM/DD/YYYY format.
02

Add Performance Notes: Summarize achievements, areas for improvement, and goal progress concisely.
03

Manager Review: Verify hours, add comments, approve or return for clarification.
04

HR & Payroll: Process approved hours for payroll and file records per retention policy.

Required fields to include on the combined form

Employee Name: Full legal name for payroll matching

Employee ID: Unique payroll or HRIS identifier

Pay Period: Start and end dates MM/DD/YYYY

Hours Worked: Total daily and weekly hours recorded

Overtime: Separate calculation and approval required

Signatures: Employee and manager signatures with dates

Core components of a professional combined record

A professional Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation combines structured time tracking with standardized performance metrics, approval workflow and an audit trail to support payroll accuracy, compliance and personnel decisions.

Employee Details

Collect legal name, employee ID, job title, department, and supervisor. These identifiers ensure correct payroll matching, reporting by cost center, and accurate attribution of performance feedback and any disciplinary records.

Time Entries

Capture daily start/stop times, total hours, break periods and coded leave types. Include rounding policy, time zone and method of entry to prevent payroll discrepancies and to meet FLSA requirements.

Leave & Absences

Record vacation, sick, FMLA and other paid or unpaid absences with date ranges and authorization codes. Linking leave entries to accrual balances reduces overpayments and simplifies audits.

Approval Workflow

Include manager review, revisions and HR sign-off. Time-stamped approvals and sequential routing create defensible records for wage-and-hour inquiries and internal policy enforcement.

Performance Metrics

Document objective goals, competency ratings, examples of work and development actions. Structured rating scales and clear comments help calibrate promotion, bonus and termination decisions.

Audit Trail

Capture timestamps, IP addresses, signer identity and change history. A detailed audit trail supports electronic signature validity and regulatory inspections.

Configure an online workflow for data capture and approvals

Configure an online workflow to auto-collect timesheet hours, route evaluations, and enforce required fields and authentication for valid electronic signatures.

Field	Configuration
Name Detection	Auto-map to HRIS or use Magic fields
Date Format	Enforce MM/DD/YYYY and auto-validate
Required Fields	Make hours, signature and pay period mandatory
Signature Auth	Email link, SMS code, or two-factor authentication

Technical and security considerations for eSubmission

Digital submissions require compatible file formats, signer authentication, and secure storage to satisfy ESIGN, UETA, and industry regulations.

File Formats: PDF, DOCX, and Excel supported
Authentication: Email, SMS code, or SSO options
Integrations: Connects to HRIS and payroll systems

Legal and compliance risks of incorrect records

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

I-9 Noncompliance: Civil fines $281–$2,789 (8 CFR §274a.2)

Payroll Errors: Underpayments, back pay liability possible

Missing Signatures: May invalidate evaluation for actions

Tax Reporting: Incorrect forms trigger IRC §6721 penalties

Data Privacy: HIPAA considerations for health-related notes

How to update or revise a submitted record

Follow a controlled amendment process for corrections or updates to timesheet and evaluation records to preserve auditability and legal defensibility.

01

Request Change:

Employee submits correction with explanation.

02

Manager Review:

Manager verifies and documents decision.

03

Employee Acknowledgement:

Employee initial or e-signs the correction.

04

HR Approval:

HR verifies compliance and updates records.

05

Re-signature:

Require new signature if material change.

06

Archive Revision:

Log version history and retain previous copy.

Real-world examples of digital timesheets and evaluations

How other organizations combine timekeeping and evaluations digitally illustrates practical benefits across healthcare, real estate and other sectors.

Martin Properties

Tim Martin used online document execution to process employee timesheets and evaluations without in-person meetings.

Saved time and improved compliance.
"I can process and execute all of these documents online with 100% compliance and built-in security. Whether on mobile or working offline, I can get forms back to their necessary parties efficiently."

Fertility Centers of Illinois

John Butler highlighted API flexibility used to route and store signed personnel records within clinical workflows.

Improved responsiveness and auditability for HR.
"The airSlate SignNow team has been exceptional, responsive, the API has been great, and we're extremely happy that we chose airSlate SignNow as a company. The integration allowed secure routing of employee records within clinical systems while meeting compliance requirements."

Frequently asked questions about completing and storing these records

Answers to common questions about completing, signing, and storing Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation records, including electronic execution and retention considerations.

Need help? Contact support

Can this be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures are legally valid under the ESIGN Act (15 U.S.C. ch. 96) and UETA when the signer demonstrates intent, consents to an electronic transaction, attribution is established, and the record can be retained and reproduced.
What retention period applies?
Retain timesheets three years under FLSA guidance (29 CFR §516.5) and tax-related documents at least three years per IRS guidance (IRC §6501(a)). HIPAA-covered records require six years (45 CFR §164.530(j)). State law may require longer retention.
Who must sign evaluations?
Typically both the manager and employee sign. HR may countersign for recordkeeping. Signatures should show intent and include dates; electronic signatures must generate an audit trail capturing identity, timestamp, and authentication method used.
What if hours were entered incorrectly?
Promptly follow an amendment workflow: employee submits correction, manager reviews and documents the rationale, HR approves and the revised entry is re-signed. Preserve prior versions in the audit trail for dispute resolution.
Can evaluations include health information?
Include medical or health details only when necessary and with appropriate safeguards. Health-related information may be protected under HIPAA and require a BAA with the eSignature vendor and strict access controls.
Are notarization or witnesses required?
Routine timesheets and performance evaluations generally do not require notarization or witnesses. Specific legal instruments or state-specific attestations may require notarization; consult counsel before notarizing employment records.

eSignature plan comparison for executing Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation

Compare common eSignature plan attributes for executing Employee Timesheet and Performance Evaluation documents; signNow is listed first for clarity.

	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, no credit card required	Free trial available	Free trial available	Free trial available	Free trial available
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes (BAA available)	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan

Common mistakes to avoid

Entering hours without specifying start/stop times leads to rounding disputes and incorrect overtime calculations; provide breaks and time zone details.
Using nicknames or inconsistent employee IDs causes mismatches between payroll and HRIS, delaying tax reporting and triggering backup withholding.
Failing to capture manager approvals or dates undermines the record's legal defensibility and can complicate wage-hour investigations.
Including health details in performance comments without HIPAA safeguards risks privacy violations and may require redaction or additional consent.

Practical tips to improve accuracy and compliance

Adopt standardized fields, enforce authentication, and integrate with payroll to reduce errors and maintain compliant audit trails for reviews.

Standardize formats and rounding rules

Define a company-wide format for dates, hours (decimal vs HH:MM), and rounding. Publish the policy and enforce it in the digital form to prevent calculation discrepancies and to comply with FLSA and payroll processing requirements.

Require electronic authentication methods and logging

Use at least email plus a secondary method (SMS, SSO, or KBA) for higher-risk signings. Ensure the platform records authentication events, IP addresses, and timestamps to satisfy ESIGN intent and attribution criteria.

Integrate with payroll and HRIS

Automatic syncing reduces manual entry errors, ensures consistent employee identifiers, and accelerates reconciliation. Map fields precisely and test edge cases (terminations, rehires) to prevent duplicate payments or misapplied benefits.

Maintain versioned audit trails and backups

Record each change, who made it, and why. Preserve prior versions and store backups offline when possible. Detailed logs support dispute resolution, wage audits, and satisfy retention rules across IRS, FLSA and HIPAA as applicable.

Where to send and file completed records

Typical routing moves submitted timesheets through manager approval into payroll and HR archives; evaluations route through manager and HR before filing.

Submit: Employee uploads completed timesheet and evaluation.
Manager Approval: Manager reviews and approves or returns for correction.
Payroll Processing: Payroll imports approved hours for pay run.
HR Archive: Store signed records in HRIS and secure storage.

Standalone timesheet vs combined timesheet and evaluation

Compare standalone timesheets with combined records to determine which workflow best supports payroll, HR and audit needs.

Criteria	Timesheet Only	Combined Record
Primary Purpose	track hours	track hours + performance
Legal Use	payroll evidence	payroll + personnel evidence
Signature Need		yes (evaluation included)
Retention Complexity	lower	higher

Typical deadlines and processing windows

Key deadlines for timesheet submission, payroll cutoff, and periodic performance review cycles.

Payroll Cutoff Deadline:

Employee submission typically 48–72 hours before pay run.

Manager Review Window:

Complete approvals within 24–48 hours after submission.

Pay Date:

Payroll processes on scheduled pay date per company policy.

Annual Review Cycle:

Performance evaluations are commonly completed annually or semiannually.

Retention Start Date:

Retention clock begins at creation or last effective update.

Key milestones from submission to archive

Sequential processing stages ensure hours and evaluations are reviewed, authorized, and incorporated into payroll before archival for compliance.

01

Employee Submission

Employee submits completed form with signatures.

02

Manager Approval

Manager verifies accuracy and approves or returns.

03

Payroll Run

Payroll calculates wages and completes pay run.

04

HR Archive

HR archives records per retention schedule.

Who has authority to sign and finalize records

Manager

Direct supervisors typically sign evaluations and approve hours for their direct reports; their approval attests to accuracy and performance observations. In disputes, documented managerial sign-off supports disciplinary or compensation decisions and is part of the audit trail.

HR Director

HR or payroll administrators finalize and countersign records for payroll processing and recordkeeping. HR ensures forms meet legal requirements, applies retention policies, and manages corrections; their signature confirms administrative review and compliance.

Exporting and storing signed records

Export signed records in PDF/A, DOCX or Excel formats with attached audit certificates and metadata for payroll, legal review, and long-term archival.

PDF/A

Produce PDF/A for long-term archival and legal defensibility; maintain embedded audit metadata where possible to preserve signature evidence.

DOCX / Excel

Download editable source files when further calculations or edits are necessary; include a signed PDF copy for recordkeeping to prevent inadvertent changes.

Audit Certificate

Always export the signing certificate or completion report with signer identity, timestamps and IP addresses to support ESIGN compliance and internal audits.

Cloud Backup

Store copies in secure cloud storage with versioning and role-based access to prevent unauthorized modifications and to meet retention policies.

Explore Templates

Beazley Specific Project Client Excess Limit of Liability Application Insurance Application Unemployment Insurance Application for Ex-Servicemembers and Federal Employees VMIA Certificate of Insurance Application Occupational Accident Insurance Application Group Term Life Insurance Application

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now