Email template · Leave and attendance
Timesheet reminder email
In short
A timesheet reminder email asks employees, contractors or temps to submit their hours before the payroll cutoff, or asks managers to approve them. It states the deadline with a time and time zone, the pay period, how to submit and what happens if it is late. Below are templates for each audience and a final notice.
When to send it: One reminder the working day before the cutoff, a second on the morning of the cutoff to anyone who has not submitted, and a separate approval reminder to managers once timesheets are in.
Timesheet reminder email: 4 versions
Standard employee reminder
SubjectReminder: timesheets due [Deadline Day] at [Deadline Time]
Hi [First Name], A quick reminder that timesheets for the pay period [Period Start] to [Period End] are due by [Deadline Time] [Time Zone] on [Deadline Day]. Submit yours here: [Timesheet Link] Before you submit, check that: - every day you worked has hours entered - PTO, sick time and holidays are coded correctly - overtime matches what your manager approved Timesheets submitted after the deadline may not be processed until the next pay date. Thanks, [Payroll or Manager Name] [Company]
Contractor / agency temp
SubjectTimesheet for week ending [Week Ending Date]: due [Deadline Day]
Hi [First Name], Please submit your timesheet for your assignment at [Client Name] for the week ending [Week Ending Date] by [Deadline Time] on [Deadline Day]. Submit it here: [Timesheet Link] Your hours need approval from your client supervisor, [Supervisor Name], before we can pay you. Timesheets approved by the deadline are paid on [Pay Date]. If your hours were different from your schedule, add a note so the approval doesn't get held up. Questions? Reply here or text [Phone Number]. [Recruiter or Payroll Name] [Agency Name]
Manager approval reminder
SubjectAction needed: [Number] timesheets waiting for your approval
Hi [Manager Name], You have [Number] timesheets waiting for approval for the period [Period Start] to [Period End]. Approvals are due by [Deadline Time] on [Deadline Day] for this payroll. Review and approve here: [Approval Link] If a timesheet looks wrong, return it to the employee with a note rather than editing it yourself, so there's a clear record of the change. Thanks, [Payroll Team]
Final notice
SubjectFinal reminder: your timesheet is missing
Hi [First Name], We still don't have your timesheet for [Period Start] to [Period End], and payroll closes at [Deadline Time] today. Please submit it now: [Timesheet Link] If you can't get to it, reply to this email or call [Phone Number] so we can make sure you're paid for the hours you worked. [Payroll Team] [Company]
Subject line ideas
- Reminder: timesheets due [Deadline Day] at [Deadline Time]
- Your timesheet is due tomorrow
- Submit your hours for [Period Start] to [Period End]
- Final reminder: your timesheet is missing
- Action needed: timesheets waiting for approval
- Week ending [Week Ending Date]: please submit your timesheet
- Payroll cutoff today at [Deadline Time]
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], reminder from [Company]: your timesheet for week ending [Week Ending Date] is due by [Deadline Time] [Deadline Day] to be paid on [Pay Date]. Submit here: [Timesheet Link]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Period Start], [Period End], [Deadline Day], [Deadline Time], [Time Zone], [Timesheet Link], [Week Ending Date], [Client Name], [Supervisor Name], [Pay Date], [Phone Number], [Manager Name], [Number], [Approval Link], [Agency Name], [Company]
Why timesheet reminders are worth getting right
Late timesheets cause more payroll corrections, off-cycle checks and angry phone calls than almost anything else in HR operations. For staffing agencies the cost is sharper still: a temp whose timesheet is not approved by the client cannot be billed, so cash flow waits on the slowest supervisor. A predictable reminder schedule usually cuts the number of late submissions sharply within a couple of pay periods.
The goal is not more emails. It is the right message to the right person: employees who have not submitted, then managers who have not approved, with nothing sent to people who are already done.
Timing and cadence
A cadence that works for most weekly and biweekly payrolls:
- Day before cutoff: reminder to everyone who has not submitted.
- Morning of cutoff: second reminder, by SMS for hourly and field staff.
- Two hours before cutoff: final notice to the remaining few, often with a phone call for anyone who has missed before.
- After submissions close: approval reminder to managers, with the count of pending timesheets.
Always give a time and a time zone. "Due Monday" means different things to a night-shift employee in Phoenix and a payroll team in New York. Text reminders get read much faster than email for hourly and field workers; SMS messaging with a direct link to the timesheet usually brings stragglers in within the hour.
What to include
- The pay period dates and the deadline with time and time zone.
- A direct link to the timesheet, not to a login page three clicks away.
- A short accuracy checklist: all days entered, leave coded correctly, overtime approved.
- The consequence of missing the deadline, stated plainly and accurately.
- Who to contact if they cannot submit.
For temps and contractors, add the assignment, the client supervisor who approves and the pay date. If you are confirming a new assignment at the same time, the temp assignment confirmation email is the place to explain the timesheet process for the first time.
Wage and hour rules to keep in mind
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, non-exempt employees must be paid for all hours worked, including overtime, whether or not a timesheet arrives on time. A late timesheet can delay processing to the next pay date only where that is consistent with state pay-timing laws; some states have strict rules on when wages must be paid, and penalties for late wages. Do not threaten to withhold pay for hours worked.
Employers are also responsible for keeping accurate time records. Managers should not edit hours themselves without a documented reason and, ideally, the employee's acknowledgement. Rules vary by state, and outside the US by country, so check with payroll or counsel before writing a penalty into a reminder.
Reducing late timesheets at the source
Reminders treat the symptom. The fix is often upstream: clock-in data that feeds timesheets automatically, a mobile-friendly submission page, and clear coding for leave so nobody stops halfway to ask. If your attendance data already captures clock-ins, pre-filling the timesheet turns submission into a confirmation step.
When leave is involved, link the two processes. An approved absence in the leave approval email should appear on the timesheet as the right leave code, not as a gap the employee has to explain.
Track the late rate by team and by approving manager. In most organizations a handful of managers account for most late approvals, and a direct conversation with them beats another round of reminders.
Mistakes to avoid
- Reminding everyone, including those who already submitted.
- No time zone on the deadline.
- Threatening pay for hours already worked.
- Generic links that land on a homepage.
- Skipping manager reminders, so submitted timesheets sit unapproved.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a timesheet reminder email?
State the pay period, the deadline with time and time zone, a direct link to submit, a short checklist for accuracy and who to contact with problems. Send it only to people who have not yet submitted.
When should timesheet reminders be sent?
The working day before the cutoff, again on the morning of the cutoff, and a final notice a couple of hours before payroll closes. Send manager approval reminders once submissions are in.
What is a contractor timesheet email?
A reminder to an agency temp or contractor to submit hours for a specific assignment and week, noting the client supervisor who approves the hours and the pay date that depends on approval.
Can an employer refuse to pay if a timesheet is late?
No. Under the FLSA and state laws, non-exempt employees must be paid for all hours worked. Late timesheets may delay processing within the limits of state pay-timing laws, but wages earned cannot be withheld as a penalty.
How do I remind managers to approve timesheets?
Send a separate message after submissions close showing how many timesheets are waiting, the approval deadline and a direct link. Ask them to return incorrect timesheets with a note rather than editing them.