Teams | Collaboration | Customer Service | Project Management

To track billable hours, you need a repeatable system that defines what counts as billable, records time by client, project, and task, and reviews entries before invoicing. This guide gives freelancers, agencies, and professional services businesses a practical, method-first approach that works whether you use time tracking software, a spreadsheet, or a manual log.

Employee availability refers to the days and times an employee is able or willing to work. Teams use availability to support staffing, shift coordination, schedule planning, and attendance visibility. The term differs from a work schedule, which refers to the specific shifts or hours an employee is assigned and expected to work.

Most teams choose time tracking software by opening a comparison list, filtering by rating, and trialing the top result. Six weeks later, the tool is set up but nobody’s using it consistently. Three questions, asked in the right order before any product comparison, tell you exactly which software category fits your situation and what to evaluate within it.

Download free timesheet templates in Excel, Google Sheets, and PDF formats, designed for daily, weekly, biweekly, and monthly tracking. Each one was built based on what we have observed across years of operating timesheet software for agencies, consulting firms, and professional services teams. Every field is there for a reason: clean payroll, accurate billing, and reporting that does not require cleanup at the end of the cycle.

Overtime is the time an employee works beyond their standard scheduled hours. It occurs when actual work time exceeds the originally planned time, including staying late, starting early, covering an extra shift, or continuing work after hours. The term can also refer to the additional pay employees receive for those extra hours.

Working hours are the periods of time during which employees are expected to perform their job. They determine when work happens, how many hours are required, and how teams coordinate availability and coverage across a day or week.

An employee work schedule defines when employees are expected to work, including days, hours, shifts, or flexible time windows. It helps teams maintain coverage, coordinate responsibilities, and create clearer expectations around who is working and when.

Paid time off (PTO) is a workplace policy that allows employees to take paid leave for vacation, illness, or personal reasons. In simple terms, paid time off refers to the total number of days or hours employees can take off while still getting paid.

Flex time is a flexible work arrangement that allows employees to choose their start and end times within employer-defined limits, while still meeting required hours and availability expectations.

Scope creep is the uncontrolled expansion of a project’s scope beyond its original goals, deliverables, or requirements—without adjusting time, budget, or resources. It typically occurs when small changes are introduced during execution without formal review, gradually shifting the project beyond its original boundaries.