Timesheets

Imperial College uses a comprehensive timesheet template. This is a paper version timesheet completed using Microsoft Excel. It should be used by all categories of staff working on projects where the funder requires time records. This template accounts for the individual's entire productive working hours, including absences. Only one comprehensive timesheet per individual per month will be accepted. A separate absence record should also be maintained.

Comprehensive Timesheet eLearning Video

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Timesheets must be:

• completed monthly and signed by the individual undertaking the work to reflect actual hours worked;

• checked and approved (signed) by their supervisor on a monthly basis;

The comprehensive timesheet template superseded previous timesheet templates on 1st June 2016. 

Guidance on individual funder requirements – European Commission, Innovate UK, UK Research Councils and US Federal Agencies – are explained in more detail below.

Any enquiries about timesheets should be directed to your departmental administrator in the first instance. Any further questions about the template or timesheet policy in general should be emailed to ro.audit@imperial.ac.uk  

The Comprehensive Timesheets Templates for PC and MAC (excel) do not currently meet web accessibility requirements. Please email ro.audit@imperial.ac.uk for accessible versions.

Absence Records

All authorised absence hours must be recorded on the comprehensive timesheet. This includes annual leave, college closure and bank holidays, sick leave, maternity and paternity leave.

It is essential that staff maintain a separate annual leave record using a paper based document or the electronic absence management system TeamSeer. Auditors retain the right to view annual leave records to ensure they are consistent with the absences declared on timesheets. For European Commission Horizon 2020 Certificate on Financial Statements (CFS), absence records must be submitted to the auditors alongside timesheets.  

Absence reports can be run from TeamSeer by staff with the role of TeamSeer System Administrator (a complete list can be found here). This document provides guidance on downloading absence reports from the system:

TeamSeer Absence Reports Guidance

These reports do not include College Closure and Bank Holiday data. Those dates can be found here.    

Responsibilities

The Principal Investigator of the research award is ultimately responsible for ensuring that timesheets are completed, approved and submitted. Faculty Research Services will email the PI when the grant is set up, setting out the funder requirements for timesheets. 

Each employee accesses their timesheet and records their actual hours worked (monthly as per funder requirements), absence taken, work package or activities worked, a description of work plus any additional information, before signing the timesheet. The PI/Supervisor should then be notified (by the employee or Departmental Administration) that the timesheet is ready for their approval and signature. 

Departmental Administration should collate and quality-check the documents. Departmental Administration is responsible for: a) Management and co-ordination of the timesheets process (including collation) b) Monitoring completion and PI/Supervisor approval c) Quality checking d) Submission to Faculty Research Services.