What it is: a one-week card with four punches a day (in, lunch out, lunch in, out), a daily total and a weekly total, with lines for the employee and supervisor to sign.
How to fill in a paper time card
- Write the week-starting date and your name and ID at the top.
- Write each punch as you make it, with AM or PM, not at the end of the week from memory.
- Daily total = (lunch out - in) + (out - lunch in). Write it as hours:minutes or decimals, but be consistent.
- Add the week, sign, and hand it in. Keep a photo for yourself.
Employers must record hours worked each workday and each workweek and keep time cards for at least 2 years (29 CFR 516.2 and 516.6). To skip the arithmetic, the time card calculator totals the week and prints a filled card.
Need it in a spreadsheet? Fill it in on screen and use Download CSV, which opens in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
Prefer a weekly sheet with regular and overtime columns? Print the weekly timesheet template.
Sources: 29 CFR 516.2; 29 CFR 516.6. Rules checked . Found a problem? Tell us.
Questions
Should I write times on a time card in 12-hour or 24-hour format?
Either, as long as it is clear. Add AM or PM on a 12-hour card; night shift workers often use 24-hour or military time to avoid mistakes.
Who signs a time card?
Usually the employee, to confirm the hours, and a supervisor, to approve them. Your employer's policy decides.