timeentry

Timeentry, often written as time entry, is a record that documents the amount of time spent on a task, activity, or project. It is a fundamental unit in time tracking systems used by organizations for billing, payroll, project management, and productivity analysis. A time entry typically records who worked, when, what was worked on, and for how long. It can be created manually by a user or captured automatically through timers, punch clocks, or integration with activity monitoring.

Common fields include date, start time, end time or duration, project or client, task or activity, a description or notes, and indicators such as billable status, rate, and approval state. Time can be logged in decimal hours (for example 4.5) or with clock time (01:30). Validation rules may enforce that hours do not exceed a set limit, dates fall within a defined period, and entries do not overlap or duplicate.

Types of time entry methods include manual entry, where users type hours; punch-in/punch-out, where times are recorded when starting and stopping work; and timer-based entry, where a running timer accumulates time until stopped. Many systems support bulk editing, templates by task, and automatic reminders for missing entries.

Time entry data typically feeds payroll, client invoicing, project accounting, and reporting dashboards. Access controls and audit trails help ensure accuracy and compliance. In multinational or regulated environments, time entries may be subject to local labor rules and overtime calculations. Overall, time entries provide a structured, auditable record of work effort across an organization.