Spreadsheet timesheets depend on formulas anyone can break, and they keep no record of who changed what. See why UK businesses switch to dedicated timesheet software that eliminates manual errors, keeps the records HMRC expects, and exports payroll-ready data.
No broken formulas. No version confusion. Just a clean form your employees fill in and managers approve.
Date selection
Pick any date range
Project tracking
Track hours by project
Automatic totals
No formulas to break
Notes & details
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| Feature | TimeTally | Excel |
|---|---|---|
Automated calculations Automatic totals and overtime vs manual formulas | ||
One-click approvals Built-in approval workflow vs email chains | ||
Mobile access Mobile apps vs unusable on mobile | ||
Payroll integration Direct export to Xero, QuickBooks vs manual copy-paste | ||
Audit trail Change history on approved timesheets vs no edit tracking | ||
Submission dashboard See who hasn't submitted at a glance vs manual chasing through emails | ||
Holiday management Integrated time off tracking vs separate spreadsheet | ||
UK leave rules 5.6 weeks, pro-rata and bank holidays by nation built in vs formulas you maintain | ||
Data security Encrypted cloud storage vs unprotected files | ||
Version control Single source of truth vs file confusion | ||
Zero cost TimeTally is £3/employee; Excel is included with Office |
These are the real issues UK businesses face daily when managing timesheets in spreadsheets — and any one of them can cause payroll errors or HMRC compliance failures
"Timesheet_FINAL_v2_ACTUAL_FINAL.xlsx" — which version is the correct one? Excel creates version control nightmares.
One employee accidentally overwrites a formula and all calculations silently break — and nobody notices until someone is paid the wrong amount.
Email spreadsheets back and forth with no record of who approved what, or when. If HMRC requests an audit trail of approved hours, spreadsheets cannot provide one — leaving your business exposed.
Employees can't submit from their phone. Managers can't approve on the go. TimeTally's mobile app works perfectly for construction, cleaning, and other field-based teams.
Sensitive payroll data sitting in unencrypted spreadsheets, often emailed without protection. No audit trail, no access controls, and a significant GDPR liability. One lost laptop or forwarded email and employee pay data is compromised.
Copy-pasting hours into payroll software every month. Tedious and error-prone.
With Excel, you manually copy hours into your payroll system every pay period. With TimeTally, one click sends approved timesheets directly to Xero or QuickBooks.
Connect to your payroll software and sync instantly
Overtime, deductions, and totals — no formulas to maintain
Export to CSV or Excel if your payroll provider isn't supported
Export timesheets directly to your payroll software
Excel is "free" but the hidden costs add up fast — manual admin time, payroll mistakes from broken formulas, and the risk of data loss from corrupted or overwritten files. Use our ROI calculator to see how much you could save by switching.
£3
per employee/month
£0?
Hidden costs below
Most businesses are fully set up within an hour. Want to see it first? Book a demo or explore how it works.
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Expert guides to help you move beyond Excel spreadsheets
Yes. You can import employee data via CSV, including names, email addresses, pay rates, and working patterns. While individual timesheet history won't transfer (Excel format varies too much between businesses), all your employee details and settings import cleanly. Most clients are fully live within 30 minutes of signing up.
You won't need them. TimeTally handles all calculations automatically — totals, overtime, pro-rata holiday calculations, and payroll exports. No formulas to maintain or macros to debug. There are no formulas to break or files to corrupt.
Employees use TimeTally's mobile app or web interface. They simply enter their hours each day - it's actually easier than Excel. Managers approve with one click instead of checking spreadsheet cells.
Yes. Export timesheet data as CSV (which opens in Excel) whenever you like, and download all your records as an Excel workbook for HMRC. Approved hours can also go straight to Xero or QuickBooks as a wages journal.
Yes. TimeTally prices approved hours, overtime included, and posts them to Xero or QuickBooks Online as a wages journal for the pay period — no copy-pasting cells. For any other payroll software, export a CSV.
TimeTally works out overtime automatically from daily or weekly thresholds, with tiers at different multipliers, per-employee rates and extra hourly rates on particular jobs. Book a call and we'll help you map your spreadsheet rules onto it.
No, it's dramatically easier. If you can use Excel, TimeTally takes 10 minutes to learn. Employees find it simpler because there are no cells, formulas, or spreadsheet concepts - just 'enter your hours'. Most teams are fully comfortable within a week.
Yes. Each person has their own login, so there are no 'file is locked' messages or competing copies. Managers approve timesheets in one place, and changes to approved timesheets are logged with who made them.
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