Free Overtime Templates: Request Form, Log, Pay, and Policy

Five free overtime templates that work as one paper trail: request and approve the hours, log them, price them, repay them as time off, and set the rules. Word, Excel, and printable PDF.

Free overtime request form template
Free overtime log template
Free overtime pay sheet template
Free time off in lieu tracker
Free overtime policy template

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How the five overtime templates fit together

Most overtime problems are not disagreements about the hours. They are disagreements about whether the hours were agreed, at what rate, and who said so. Each file closes one of those gaps.

1

Decide it before the work

Write down the reason, the dates, the estimated hours, and what the work costs if it waits. The decision belongs on paper before the hours happen, not after.

2

Log the hours as they happen

One row per session with the date, the person, the reason, the hours, and who approved them. This is the record payroll and billing both read from.

3

Price it at the right multiplier

Split the hours into regular, time and a half, and double time against an hourly rate. The multipliers are editable because yours may differ.

4

Repay it as time off, if that is the deal

When overtime is repaid with time off instead of money, track hours earned against hours taken so the balance stays honest on both sides.

5

Set the rule once

Write down what counts as overtime, who approves it, how it is recorded, how it is compensated, and where the limits are. Then the first four steps stop being improvised.

Everything for overtime, in one place

Five templates, the calculator that checks a figure, and the guide that explains the whole sequence. Open a template for its fields, a real preview, and step-by-step instructions.

The complete guide to overtime paperwork

What each file records, how to calculate overtime pay at 1.5x and 2x, a worked example of one week from request to payroll, and the point where a spreadsheet stops being the right tool.

Read the guide

Questions about overtime templates

What is an overtime request form?

An overtime request form records a decision before the work happens: the reason, the dates, the estimated hours, the project affected, and the approver’s answer with any conditions or maximum. It leaves a dated record that the later hours log and payroll can both point back to.

Do I need the request form, the log, and the pay sheet?

Use the request form before the work, the overtime log during the period, and the pay sheet when it is time to pay. The request captures the decision, the log captures the hours, and the pay sheet turns those hours into money at the right multiplier.

What is the difference between the overtime log and the overtime pay sheet?

The overtime log totals hours and nothing else, which is what a manager reviewing a period needs. The overtime pay sheet splits those hours into regular, 1.5x, and 2x against an hourly rate and returns overtime pay and total pay, which is what payroll needs.

Can I change the overtime multipliers?

Open the pay sheet in Excel or Google Sheets and edit the formula in the overtime pay column. The 1.5 and 2 multipliers are written into the formula rather than hidden, because premium rates differ by country, agreement, and contract.

What is time off in lieu?

Time off in lieu means overtime is repaid with equivalent time off instead of extra pay. The tracker records hours earned when the overtime is worked, hours taken when the time off is used, and keeps a running balance with an optional expiry date.

Do these templates guarantee overtime compliance?

No. These are general operational records and starting points. Overtime thresholds, premium rates, rest periods, opt-outs, and record retention differ by country, sector, and contract, so check the rules that apply to you before you rely on any of them.

Are the overtime templates really free?

Every file is free and needs no account or email address. We place them in the public domain rather than licensing them to you, so you may edit them, put your own branding on them, publish an adapted version, and use them commercially without asking us or crediting us.

When should a team move beyond these files?

Keep the files while one person can keep them complete and consistent. Consider Sandtime.io when the hours themselves need to be recorded by the whole team, submitted, reviewed, locked, and exported, rather than collected as five separate files at the end of the month.