Monthly attendance sheet (timesheet) and daily log template, free, in Excel and PDF

Need an attendance sheet and do not want to build one from scratch? Below are two free templates, in Excel and PDF: the monthly attendance sheet and the daily log. Print them or use them directly in Excel, with totals calculated for you.

Easy Timesheet

What you get

One file with two documents, to be used together:

  • The daily log: each day you note the time each employee started and the time they finished. It is the “primary” document, filled in at the workplace.
  • The monthly attendance sheet: it consolidates the hours from the log over the whole month, with totals, leave and absences. You sign it and send it to the accountant.

Download Excel (.xlsx) Download PDF (to print)

Monthly attendance sheet template, with the days of the month, totals and signatures
The monthly sheet from the template: days of the month in columns, totals for hours, annual leave, sick leave and absences, and signature boxes.

Daily log or monthly sheet: what is the difference

The two documents are filled in together, one does not replace the other.
Daily logMonthly sheet
Roleprimary record: proof of the hours actually workedmonthly summary, used for payroll
When it is filled inevery day, by the employee or the managerat month-end (and during the month, if you like)
What it containsdate, name, start and end time, signatureshours per day, totals, leave, absences, signatures
Where it is keptat the workplacewith the accountant and in the company archive

The Romanian Labour Code requires the start and end time, daily, at the workplace (Article 119; in depth in Recording employee working hours). That is why the log is not a detail: the monthly sheet summarises it but does not replace it.

How to fill in the monthly sheet

In the header write the company name, the work location and the month. On the rows, each employee, with name and job title. On each day worked enter the number of hours; for other days, a code:

The codes are a common convention; adapt the list to your internal rules.
CodeMeaningNote
8, 6, 4…hours worked that daythe real figure, not the “standard” schedule
Lday offSaturday, Sunday or a day off in the schedule
Spublic holidaynon-working day under Article 139 of the Labour Code
COannual leavesee also how to mark leave
CMsick leavebased on the medical certificate
Aabsentunauthorised absence or authorised time off, per company rules

In Excel, the right-hand columns calculate for you: total hours worked (the sum of the numbers), the number of CO, CM and absence days. Check the total once at the end: if a cell contains text instead of a number (for example “8 hours”), it will not be added.

How to fill in the daily log

  1. Enter the date and the name of each employee present.
  2. The employee (or the shift lead) notes the arrival time when the day starts and the departure time when it ends.
  3. Each person signs next to the time they wrote.
  4. The day’s total is calculated automatically in Excel, or by hand on the printed version.

At month-end, the hours from the log are moved to the monthly sheet. In Excel you can paste the totals; with an app like Easy Timesheet, the monthly sheet is generated from the hours entered every day.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Filling it in at month-end. Exactly what the law does not accept: the record is daily.
  • “8” every day. If someone worked 7 hours or 10, write 7 or 10. The Labour Inspectorate asks for a real record.
  • No start and end time. A total is not enough, even in the log.
  • No signatures. The monthly sheet must be signed by whoever prepared it and whoever approved it.
  • One copy, on a desk. Keep it at the workplace and a copy with the accountant.

Frequently asked questions

Is this template mandatory?
No. The law does not prescribe a particular format. The template is indicative: what matters is that the information is real, daily, with start and end time, and that it can be shown on inspection.
Can I print it and fill it in by hand?
Yes. The PDF is made for A4 printing: the monthly sheet in landscape and the daily log on one or more pages.
What about months shorter than 31 days?
The sheet has 31 columns; for shorter months leave the extra columns empty or strike them out. The Excel totals are not affected.
Can I use the template in an app?
You can use it as a starting point. If you would rather not fill it in by hand, an app like Easy Timesheet generates the signed monthly sheet, in PDF or Excel, from the hours entered daily.
Note: the templates are indicative, free and adaptable. They do not replace the advice of your accountant or an employment-law specialist for your company’s situation.

Sources and further reading