Semi-monthly pay periods split the month into two payroll windows. Everhour keeps approved time organized before payroll review.
Enter your time in and out for each day. Overtime and gross pay are calculated automatically.
| Day | Time In | Break Start | Break End | Break | Time Out | Total |
|---|
The calculator gives you the number — Everhour takes it from there.
One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
Set a budget, assign rates, and get alerted before you're over.
Measurement
Track your budget through time or costs
Every report you need — configured your way, always up to date.
Tracked hours flow straight into a polished invoice — no copy-paste, no manual math.
A semi-monthly timesheet usually covers two fixed pay periods per month, such as the 1st through the 15th and the 16th through the last day. The template should show the employee, pay period, department or project, daily entries, regular hours, overtime review fields, approval status, and notes for corrections.
The pay-period total helps payroll, but covered employers still need accurate records for non-exempt workers. For employees covered by the FLSA minimum wage or overtime provisions, records must include hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek. A semi-monthly template should make those weekly totals visible, even when the pay period cuts across two workweeks.
Use one row per date when the goal is payroll review. Core columns include date, day, start time, end time, unpaid break, regular hours, project or client, billable status, notes, employee approval, and manager approval. U.S. billing and payroll rate fields normally use USD.
A clearer layout separates daily entries from summary fields. For example, a row can show March 3, 2026, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM, 30-minute unpaid break, 8 hours, client work, billable. The summary area should total the semi-monthly period, show each workweek total, and flag any covered nonexempt employee time above 40 hours in a workweek for overtime review.
Semi-monthly payroll does not change the federal overtime baseline. Under the FLSA, unless exempt, covered employees must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at not less than one and one-half times the employee's regular rate of pay.
A workweek is a fixed, regularly recurring period of seven consecutive 24-hour periods. Hours may not be averaged across two or more workweeks for FLSA overtime purposes. A semi-monthly Excel sheet that only totals the 1st through the 15th can hide overtime when a workweek crosses the pay-period boundary, so weekly subtotals are essential.
An Excel template works for a one-off payroll check, a small team, or a contractor record that needs a clean semi-monthly summary. The file can also serve a manager, bookkeeper, or client when the source entries are already complete and need a quick review format.
A managed workflow becomes stronger when people submit time every week, managers approve or reject entries, and approved records need protection from later edits. Everhour Timesheets collect project hours and working hours by person, support approval decisions, and lock approved time before payroll, billing, or reporting uses it.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
High Performer
G2
Summer 2026
Best Ease Of Use
Capterra
Summer 2026
Rated in the top time trackers across G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius — with consistent praise for ease of use, integrations, and support.
Semi-monthly and biweekly schedules use different periods. Semi-monthly payroll usually runs twice per month, often 24 pay periods per year. Biweekly payroll runs every two weeks, usually 26 pay periods per year. Timesheets should match the pay schedule, but FLSA overtime review still uses the fixed workweek for covered nonexempt employees.
The sheet should show hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek for employees covered by the FLSA minimum wage or overtime provisions. A separate semi-monthly total helps payroll, but weekly totals protect overtime review when a pay period starts or ends in the middle of a workweek.
Excel can calculate period totals and weekly subtotals when the template uses consistent date rows and a fixed workweek. The risk comes from summarizing only the semi-monthly period. Covered nonexempt employee overtime under the FLSA is triggered by hours worked over 40 in a workweek, subject to exemptions and any stricter state or local rules.
Weekend and holiday hours should be marked when company policy, a contract, or state law treats them differently. The FLSA does not require overtime premium pay solely for Saturday, Sunday, holiday, or regular rest-day work unless the weekly overtime rule is triggered or another law or agreement applies.
Employers must preserve payroll records for at least three years and basic time and earnings records, such as daily start and stop time cards or sheets, for at least two years. A semi-monthly Excel file should stay readable, dated, and tied to the correct employee and pay period for that retention window.
Everhour Timesheets collect project hours and working hours by person so managers can review time before payroll, billing, or reporting. Team members can submit time, and managers can approve, reject, partially approve, or request corrections while submitted and approved time stays protected from regular member edits.
Everhour Reporting turns logged time, budgets, costs, and project data into configurable reports. Teams can build reports with date ranges, grouping, filters, billable time, labor costs, invoice status, and other columns, then export saved reports as CSV, Excel/XLSX, or PDF files.
Use Everhour Timesheets to collect weekly project and working hours, route them for approval, and protect approved entries before payroll or billing review.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Cancel anytime
