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A payroll hours tracker has one job: show when work started and stopped, how many hours fell on each day and in each workweek, and how those hours turned into pay. Under U.S. federal recordkeeping guidance from the Department of Labor (DOL) under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), no particular form or time clock is required. What matters is that the tracker is complete and accurate, with daily and workweek totals and the wage details that connect hours to earnings. That federal guidance applies to covered nonexempt workers.
What a tracker must capture
The DOL’s federal list of records for covered nonexempt workers includes the following items. Use it as the minimum set of fields for any tracker you build or assess.
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- Hours worked each day, with the start and stop times that produced them.
- Total hours worked each workweek, not only a running daily figure.
- The day and time the workweek begins, because overtime is measured per workweek rather than per pay period.
- Pay basis and rates, such as hourly or salary-based, and the rate that applies.
- Straight-time and overtime earnings for the period.
- Wage additions or deductions that change the amount paid.
- Payment-period details, so each set of hours can be matched to the pay date it belongs to.
This list describes federal FLSA records. It is not a complete payroll file, and it does not add state or contract requirements.
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The DOL says no particular form is required. An employer may use a time clock, a timekeeper who records hours, or hours entered by the employee, as long as the information is complete and accurate. The Wage and Hour Division’s Fact Sheet #21 puts the standard this way: “Any timekeeping plan is acceptable as long as it is complete and accurate.”
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The same fact sheet describes itself as general information and says it is not to be treated as an official statement of position contained in the regulations. Treat it as a practical guide to federal expectations, and check the regulations and your jurisdiction for binding detail.
How long to keep each record
Federal retention periods depend on the record type. The table below reflects the Wage and Hour Division’s Fact Sheet #21. Each period is the federal minimum for the listed records. Do not apply these periods to every record or to records governed by another jurisdiction.
| Record type | Federal retention period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll records | Generally at least three years | DOL Fact Sheet #21 |
| Collective bargaining agreements | At least three years | DOL Fact Sheet #21 |
| Sales and purchase records | At least three years | DOL Fact Sheet #21 |
| Records on which wage computations are based, including time cards, wage-rate tables, and work and time schedules | Generally at least two years | DOL Fact Sheet #21 |
Because time cards and schedules have the shorter two-year period while payroll records run longer, a tracker that feeds payroll should be kept for at least the longer period.
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Choosing a tracking method
The four common methods below are all recognized in the DOL guidance in some form. None is required, and each shifts the workload and the error risk in a different place.
Employee-entered timesheet or log
A paper or spreadsheet log kept by the worker needs little equipment. Its weakness is that its value depends entirely on complete, accurate entries made at the time the work happens, not reconstructed later.
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Time clock
A time clock is one permitted method, not a federal requirement. It suits an employer that wants a dedicated clock-in and clock-out record that is not built from individual memory or manual entries.
Digital timesheet app
An app can make entry and calculation more convenient. It still needs accurate input from the user, so it changes the effort rather than removing the need for accuracy.
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The DOL allows an employer to keep the exact schedule for employees whose hours seldom vary, then record actual deviations when they occur. This works only if the schedule is accurate and every departure from it is written down on the day it happens.
When comparing methods, check each one against these criteria. They are practical editorial criteria drawn from the required record fields. They are not a DOL rating of any product.
- Captures start and stop times, and breaks where relevant
- Produces daily and workweek totals
- Separates overtime hours from straight-time hours
- Allows employee corrections, with a visible record of what changed
- Keeps records accessible for payroll and for the retention periods above
Free DOL tools
WorkWise Timesheet App
The DOL’s free WorkWise Timesheet App is available for iOS and Android and in English and Spanish. Its official page says it tracks regular work hours, break time, and overtime; supports employer and employee options; and calculates pay automatically.
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The same page sets limits you should weigh before relying on it. The app is continually under development, it may not cover every work situation, and its results depend on the accuracy of the information users enter.
Printable work-hours calendar
Worker.gov describes a printable work-hours calendar from the DOL, available in English and Spanish. It has space to record pay rate, start and stop times, and arrival and departure times. Worker.gov also lists the free timesheet app as a separate option.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Building a tracker step by step
- Write the workweek start day and time at the top of the tracker. Every total depends on it.
- Record the pay basis and the rate that applies for the period.
- For each shift, enter the start time, end time, and any unpaid break taken.
- Calculate the day’s hours and add them to the workweek total.
- At the end of each workweek, separate overtime hours from straight-time hours. Federal FLSA overtime applies to hours over 40 in a workweek for covered nonexempt workers, subject to the exceptions in the law.
- Record straight-time and overtime earnings, plus any additions or deductions, against the matching payment period.
- When a correction is made, note the date, the original entry, the new entry, and who approved it. A correction without that trail is hard to verify later.
- Keep the completed tracker for at least the periods in the retention table.
If you are a worker keeping your own record
The DOL encourages workers to keep their own record of employer details and their hours. This matters most when pay does not match the time you believe you worked. Worker.gov lists two concerns that people commonly raise: “I didn’t get paid for time I worked” and “My employer isn’t keeping records of my hours or pay.”
A personal record should include the employer’s name and contact details, your pay rate, and each day’s start time, stop time, and arrival and departure times. The printable calendar and the WorkWise app both cover these fields.
Where a tracker stops
A tracker records hours and wage details. It is not a payroll system, and it does not calculate taxes, schedule staff, or guarantee compliance with any law. The federal guidance described here covers covered workers and employers under the FLSA. It does not settle state, local, collective bargaining, industry-specific, or non-U.S. rules. Before making a broader compliance claim about a real payroll process, identify the applicable jurisdiction and the worker’s classification, then check the rules that apply to them.
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