Create a basic Excel timesheet with one row per workday and columns for the date, start time, end time, break, and net hours. For a same-day shift, enter =C2-B2-D2 in the net-hours column, then total the period with =SUM(E2:E8). The free template option needs a qualification: Microsoft’s template catalog explains how to browse and customize templates, but the cited page does not confirm that a specific timesheet template is currently available.
Set up the timesheet columns
Use one row for each workday. In row 1, add these headings:
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| Column | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Date | The calendar date of the shift |
| Start | Clock-in time |
| End | Clock-out time |
| Break | Break duration as an Excel time value |
| Net hours | Formula result after any break deduction |
Enter clock times as times, such as 9:00 AM and 5:30 PM. For a day with no break deduction, leave the Break cell blank; Excel treats that blank as zero in the formula below.
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For a shift that starts and ends on the same day
If Start is in B2, End is in C2, and Break is in D2, enter this in E2:
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=C2-B2-D2
Copy the formula down the Net hours column for other workdays. Format those cells to show hours and minutes: select the cells, open Format Cells, choose Custom, and enter h:mm. This displays an elapsed duration rather than a decimal fraction of a day. Microsoft’s guidance uses the same basic subtraction approach and describes displaying elapsed time with a time format: Microsoft Support: Add or subtract time.
Enter a break as a duration, for example 0:30 for 30 minutes. If you prefer to enter whole break minutes, label that column clearly as minutes and use a formula that converts minutes to a fraction of a day: =C2-B2-(D2/1440). Excel time values are fractions of a 24-hour day, so dividing minutes by 1,440 converts them to the same unit as the start and end times.
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Handle overnight shifts
One shift ending after midnight
With clock times alone, an end time after midnight can be numerically earlier than the start time. For a shift shorter than 24 hours, use this in the Net hours cell:
=MOD(C2-B2,1)-D2
MOD wraps the elapsed-time calculation across midnight. This assumes the intended shift lasts less than one full day. If a shift may last longer, or you need the actual dates represented, record full start and end date-times and subtract those instead.
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Total the week or pay period
To total daily durations in E2 through E8, enter:
=SUM(E2:E8)
In desktop Excel, format the total cell with the custom format [h]:mm. The square brackets make the hours cumulative, so a 40-hour total displays as 40:00 rather than wrapping to a clock reading after 24 hours. You can also calculate decimal hours with =SUM(E2:E8)*24, which is useful if you want a number such as 40 instead of 40:00. Microsoft notes that Excel for the web can add time values above 24 hours but does not support applying a custom number format; decimal hours are a practical display alternative there. See Microsoft’s time calculation guidance.
Do not use HOUR() by itself to extract a weekly total: it returns only the hour component and cannot represent a cumulative total above 24 hours.
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Use a free template—or build the sheet yourself
Microsoft Create’s template page describes a general workflow: browse templates, open one, replace its labels and cell values, then save, print, or share it as a PDF. The page does not establish that a particular timesheet template is currently listed, so check the catalog rather than assuming a named timesheet is available: Microsoft Create templates.
If you have a downloadable workbook from another source, check that it includes the columns and formulas you need and opens in your version of Excel. The layout and formulas above are enough to create the basic sheet without downloading a template.
What the formulas do—and do not—decide
The arithmetic subtracts a break only when you enter one; it cannot determine whether a break is paid or unpaid, whether overtime applies, or what rounding and record-keeping rules your workplace must follow. Follow your employer’s timekeeping instructions and applicable local requirements. A spreadsheet with working formulas is not, by itself, proof of payroll or labor-law compliance.
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