Timesheet: how to “close it” if the last day of the month falls on a weekend

Unified forms of accounting sheets

The Labor Code of the Russian Federation (Article 91) establishes the employer’s obligation to keep records of the time worked by employees. For this purpose, unified forms of time sheets are provided, approved by Resolution of the State Statistics Committee of January 5, 2004 No. 1. The use of these forms is not mandatory, therefore the employer has the right to develop his own. Form No. T-13 is used most often, as it is used for automated processing of credentials.

Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation dated March 30, 2015 No. 52n approved the OKUD form 0504421 for use by public authorities (state bodies), local government bodies, management bodies of state extra-budgetary funds, state (municipal) institutions. The same Order defines the procedure for its completion and application.

We draw up a Regulation on the time sheet

In order to systematize the collection and processing of information for maintaining time sheets, a “Regulation on the Time Sheet” is being drawn up.

This Regulation is a legal act. It can be compiled approximately according to the following points:

1. General provisions . In this section you need to describe the purpose for which the document is created and maintained.
2. Responsibilities . The employees who are assigned responsibilities for its maintenance are determined.
3. Rules for filling out the timesheet . The procedure for maintaining the timesheet and the form of the form are approved, the characteristics of the organization are taken into account, and the nuances of filling out the timesheet are described.
4. Main goals and objectives . The procedure for submitting the document to the accounting department and human resources department, the date of submission of the report card to the manager (both paper and electronic versions of the document are specified).

At the enterprise, we made it even simpler: we found a ready-made Regulation on the Internet and downloaded it. And we slightly modified the document, adapting it to suit our organization.

Once the Regulations have been drawn up, all involved persons must familiarize themselves with them. And also with the order for its approval, sign and begin your duties.

The sample Regulations are not provided in full

How to record time worked

For any length of the working day, regardless of the established modes, working time is reflected in the accounting table in two ways:

• method of continuous registration of attendance and absence from work;
• by recording only deviations (no-shows, overtime, etc.).

If the length of the working day (shift) is unchanged, it is allowed to register only deviations, since the terms of the employment contract or internal labor regulations determine the number of working hours for each working day.

If the number of hours worked on different days (shifts) is different, for example, when recording total time worked, then when filling out a time sheet, the continuous recording method should be used. This will allow, after the end of the accounting period, to identify possible overtime hours and adjust the employee’s further involvement in work within the limits of the norm for the length of time worked established for this category.

Notes on the working time sheet about the reasons for absence from work, part-time work or beyond its normal duration at the initiative of the employee or employer, shortened working hours, etc. are made on the basis of documents executed properly (certificate of incapacity for work, certificate of performance of state or public duties, a written warning about downtime, an application for part-time work, the employee’s written consent to work overtime in cases established by law, etc.).

Who is required to keep a working time schedule?

Let's figure out who should draw up and maintain the timesheet.

In accordance with the “Instructions for the use and completion of primary accounting documentation,” which are in effect in 2021, the form must be filled out by a certain employee authorized by order of the manager. The document must be signed by the HR department and the boss.

Life experience shows that managers often treat timesheets very superficially. The responsibility is simply dumped on the first employee who comes to hand, without any orders, approved forms, without payments or incentives for additional work. A “kind” employee gets down to business with enthusiasm. And happily performs other people's duties for free. It’s good when this employee has enough time and copes with both timesheet keeping and his main job. But usually unpaid additional work only gets in the way and makes you nervous.

And some people ignore timesheets altogether. They work, they fuss, they have no time to even think about it. “What report card? What are you speaking about? I have 10 people working in total, we manage without timesheets. Distracting someone from the main work process or hiring another employee is unprofitable.” Newly-made businessmen usually behave this way. They really have few employees in the company, the salary suits everyone, and it would seem that they do not need to keep time sheets. But this is for the time being. One day, state inspectors come here too. It is then that the entrepreneur begins to understand the importance of keeping time sheets.

In large enterprises, the schedule is usually kept by a “timekeeper”. If the time sheet is in the possession of an unauthorized person, this is fraught with fines. In this case, the accounting sheet itself is considered invalid. Only a timekeeper can legally keep a schedule.

If the organization is small, then another employee may be responsible for filling out the form. As a rule, this is an accountant, secretary, HR department employee, or head of a department (keeps records for his department).

In this case, there must be a corresponding order from the manager. And the employment contract is supplemented with a new clause granting the employee additional powers. If these documents are not available, the employee may refuse the obligation to keep time records . And the manager does not have the right to force him to fulfill these duties.

Only an authorized person bears full responsibility for the correctness of time sheet information.

The schedule is filled out monthly. After processing the data in the time sheet, the timekeeper and all responsible persons put their signatures. Afterwards, the document falls under the jurisdiction of the accounting department, all points are verified and salaries are calculated for the company’s employees. Without the manager's signature, the time sheet is invalid.

The timekeeper's work must be paid

How to fill out a time sheet

When compiling, you must be guided by the Instructions for the use and completion of forms of primary accounting documentation for recording labor and its payment, approved by Resolution of the State Statistics Committee of Russia dated January 5, 2004 No. 1. Special designations are used. When reflecting the amount of time worked, an alphabetic (I) or numeric (01) code is entered next to the employee’s last name, and the duration of work is indicated in the lower lines. If the work schedule falls at night, then complete the form with columns to indicate the necessary details.

If an employee is sent on a business trip, then the time he is on a business trip is marked by putting down an alphabetic (K) or numeric (06) code, and the duration of work is indicated in the lower lines. If, while on a business trip, the employee also worked on weekends, then on such days an alphabetic (РВ) or numeric (03) code is entered, and the duration of work is indicated in the lower lines.

We collected in the table the designations in the timesheet in form 0504421 in 2021.

Why timesheets are so important in 2021

The time sheet is considered the primary document. Therefore, during any audit, representatives of the tax and state inspectors will definitely request it from you.

Why is the report card so important? This document is needed to correctly calculate wages and, accordingly, taxes. After all, it records the actual work performed. Thanks to this reporting, the accounting department calculates additional payments, benefits, vacation pay, sick leave and other payments.

It is mandatory to keep a time sheet . This need applies to all entrepreneurs who have employees under their command: both individuals and legal entities.

The time sheet will be useful in any legal proceedings, complaints, or controversial issues within the team. Using the timesheet, you can track every extra hour worked, or time spent at work on holidays or weekends. And also, according to the schedule, you can always identify absentees and late employees.

Based on the report card information, the HR department can reward or punish employees.

A cash bonus for an extra hour worked is always nice

Weekends and holidays in the report card

They are reflected in accordance with the production calendar, which takes into account all established holidays and their transfers in accordance with Government Decrees. Days off for different categories of employees vary depending on the work schedule established for them. The document uses different holiday accounting codes. It depends on how the organization pays for these days and on what basis they are provided.

A day off in accordance with the employee’s schedule is indicated by a letter (B) or numeric (26) code. It does not affect the established wages.

If, at the initiative of the company, employees receive an additional day off, and the company reduces the monthly work rate for them, then the employees receive a full salary, and these days are not paid by the company. For such days, the timesheet contains an alphabetic (B) or numeric (26) code.

Another case of a company establishing an additional day off is when employees go on a day off, and the company pays for these days according to the average. It turns out that workers receive a salary for days worked, and an average salary for additional paid days off. For such a case, an alphabetic (OB) or numeric (27) code is provided.

Option two: “close” the timesheet on the last working day of the current month

This option can only be used if no employee works on holidays and weekends. Then HR officers and accountants have confidence that the information entered in the timesheet will not be adjusted. So, if January 31st falls on a Saturday, and all company employees work only from Monday to Friday, then the timesheet can be “closed” on January 30th.

If the staff has employees with a shift schedule, whose shifts fall on weekends or holidays, then it will not be possible to sign the timesheet before the end of the month. Otherwise, the HR department will have to draw up an adjustment report card, and this will require additional time, effort, and may lead to confusion.

Storage period for time sheets

Such an accounting table is a personnel document relating to the organization of labor, for which Art. 22.1 of the Law on Archival Affairs establishes a special storage period, namely:

• five years from the end of the year in which it was compiled, if the time sheet took into account only the work of those employees who work under normal working conditions;
• 50 years from the date of drawing up the TURV, if it took into account the work of employees engaged in harmful or dangerous work.

When do you need an extract from the time sheet?

In some cases, an extract from the time sheet may be required. For example, according to the Labor Code of the Russian Federation, upon dismissal, an employee has the right to request the issuance of a report card with other personal documents. Or an employee who is going on maternity leave may need a report card. At the request of state inspectors, it is also necessary to make an extract from the report card.

What is she like? This is a special form that is filled out according to the work time sheet.

Sample form

The extract must contain the following information:

• the time period for which the statement was made;
• extract number and date of completion;
• code marks about the employee’s visit, corresponding to the time sheet;
• final mining figures;
• number of the time sheet from which the data is written;
• name of the enterprise;
• Full name of the employee to whom the extract is given.

The extract is affixed with the seal of the enterprise and the signature of an authorized person or supervisor.

It must be remembered that the Labor Code obliges employers to issue an extract from the time sheet only to employees working at the enterprise . If the employee has already been fired, then no one is obliged to give him this document.

Accounting and taxes

Based on the data indicated in the table, the accounting department calculates wages and various benefits. This data also affects the payment of taxes. Let's pay attention to the main risks.

When passing tax audits, including income tax, the company must provide reliable data on the number of days and hours worked by each employee in order to confirm the correctness of the accruals. If violations are discovered, the amount of income tax indicated in the reports will be recognized as incorrect, which will entail the imposition of penalties.

When withholding personal income tax from an employee’s earnings, the organization, as a tax agent, must find out whether this person is a tax resident of the Russian Federation in order to use the correct tax rate in the calculation. The report card will be able to confirm the actual presence of the employee in the country. This feature should especially be taken into account by those employers who send employees on business trips to Belarus or Kazakhstan, because when crossing these borders, no marks are made in the citizen’s passport. If a dispute arises, the company will be able to prove that it applied the correct rate, withheld and charged personal income tax in full.

Correctly filling out the timesheet guarantees the company the ability of the Social Insurance Fund to count expenses on sick leave, because it is impossible to officially confirm the number of days worked, which are extremely important when calculating these amounts.