Timesheets

Timesheets - Electronic Signature Guidance Comprehensive Timesheet Template - PC Comprehensive Timesheet Template - MAC Timesheet Procedure TeamSeer Absence Reports Guidance

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 and made available if required. 

Comprehensive Timesheet eLearning Video

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Comprehensive Timesheet eLearning Video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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;

  • passed to the appointed individual within the Academic Department – within 10 working days of the end of each month – for review and collation; and

  • submitted every quarter to Faculty Research Services for final checking and reconciliation of charges to the project.

The comprehensive timesheet template superseded previous timesheet templates on 1st June 2016. Detailed information on the timesheet process and management responsibilities can be found in this document: Timesheet Procedure [pdf]‌.

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.    

Funder Requirements

European Commission (EC) FP7 and H2020

All categories of staff (including PIs, Co-Is, PhD Students and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellows) charged to EC funded projects (FP7 and H2020) are required to complete timesheets.

ERC PIs must complete a timesheet even if they are not charging time to the ERC project to demonstrate that they have met their contractual obligations.

The EC accepts that time entered on the timesheet can vary from month to month but it is important to ensure that costs within the financial system are reconciled to reflect actual time worked on the project.

Information about absences included in timesheets must match records of annual and sick leave taken. Time taken for work-related travel must be supported by appropriate evidence, e.g. conference documentation, project meeting notes etc, as this will be verified against the timesheet to ensure it relates to the project.

Innovate UK (part of UKRI)

Directly Incurred full or part-time staff working less than 100% of their time on one or more Innovate UK project must complete a timesheet.

Innovate UK would prefer those staff Directly Allocated to the project and those Directly Incurred working 100% of time to also complete timesheets.  However, it is acceptable to complete an annual declaration, signed by the individual or the project manager, confirming how much time was spent on the project.

Where staff costs are incurred by a subcontractor or collaborator, an invoice will be accepted as evidence of costs incurred and no timesheets need to be retained by the third party organisation.

Innovate UK Annual Declaration [Word]‌

Research Councils (part of UKRI)

Directly incurred staff (e.g. research assistants; research fellows; technicians; administrative staff) working less than 100% of their time on one Research Council project must complete a comprehensive timesheet.

Timesheets are NOT required for:

  • staff on part-time contracts whose salary costs are charged fully to a single UKRI project;

  • postgraduate Research Students who are charged either full or part-time to UKRI projects;

  • staff funded by the UKRI Academic Fellowship scheme if they can demonstrate 100% time commitment, even if not fully funded by the fellowship.

US Federal Awards (e.g. National Institutes of Health (NIH))

From 1st August 2019, all Directly Incurred staff working less than 100% of their time on one Federal Agency award must complete a comprehensive timesheet.

We would recommend that all staff charged to a Federal Agency award complete a comprehensive timesheet for audit purposes.