HoursLog

Timesheet glossary

Plain-English definitions of 34 time card, timesheet and payroll terms. US terms follow federal (FLSA) usage unless stated.

Annual leave
Paid time off for holidays or vacation, a term used in the UK, Australia and elsewhere. Recorded on this site as PTO.
Biweekly
Every two weeks. A biweekly pay period covers two workweeks, and gives 26 pay periods in most years.
Clock in / clock out
Recording the time you start and stop work, on a time clock, app or paper card.
Comp time (compensatory time)
Time off given instead of overtime pay. Under the FLSA this is generally limited to public agencies.
Decimal hours
Time written as a decimal number of hours, such as 7.75 for 7 hours 45 minutes. Minutes ÷ 60 = the decimal part.
Double time
Pay at twice the regular rate, required in some situations by some states, such as California after 12 hours in a day.
Exempt employee
An employee not covered by the FLSA’s overtime rules, usually because they meet a salary and duties test.
FLSA
The Fair Labor Standards Act, the US federal law on minimum wage, overtime, recordkeeping and child labor.
Fortnightly
Every two weeks; the UK and Australian word for biweekly.
Full time
Not defined by the FLSA; employers decide what counts as full-time work.
Gross pay
Total pay before taxes and deductions. This site estimates gross pay only.
Hourly rate
The amount paid for each hour of work.
Hours worked
Time an employee is required or permitted to work, including short paid breaks but not bona fide unpaid meal periods.
Meal period
A break for a meal, usually 30 minutes or more. Under federal rules it is unpaid only if the employee is completely relieved from duty.
Modern Award
In Australia, a legal document setting minimum pay and conditions, including overtime and penalty rates, for an industry or occupation.
Net pay
Pay after taxes and deductions (take-home pay). Not calculated on this site.
Non-exempt employee
An employee covered by the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime rules.
On-call time
Time an employee must be available to work. Whether it is work time depends on how restricted the employee is.
Overtime
Hours over a daily or weekly limit, usually paid at a higher rate. Under the FLSA, hours over 40 in a workweek.
Pay period
The span of time a paycheck covers, such as one week, two weeks, half a month or a month.
Penalty rates
In Australia, higher pay rates for work at certain times, such as weekends, nights or public holidays, set by awards or agreements.
PTO (paid time off)
Paid leave such as vacation or personal days. On this site PTO counts as paid hours, not hours worked.
Punch
One clock-in or clock-out record. A punch pair is one in and one out.
Punch clock (time clock)
A device or app that records when employees start and stop work.
Regular rate
Under the FLSA, the hourly rate used to work out overtime; it includes most pay for the work, with some exclusions.
Rest break
A short break, usually 5 to 20 minutes. Under federal rules it is paid work time.
Rounding
Adjusting punch times to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes. Federally allowed only if it does not underpay over time.
Semi-monthly
Twice a month, for example on the 15th and the last day: 24 pay periods a year.
Seventh-day rule
In California, special overtime for the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.
Split shift
A workday with two or more separate blocks of work, with unpaid time in between.
Time and a half
Pay at 1.5 times the regular rate: the FLSA minimum for overtime hours.
Time card
A record of the hours an employee worked, usually for one week or pay period. Often called a timesheet.
Timesheet
A record of hours worked, often with tasks or projects; the common term in the UK and Australia.
Workweek
Under the FLSA, a fixed, recurring period of 168 hours (seven consecutive 24-hour periods). It can start on any day and hour.

See these terms in action: FLSA overtime rules explained, how to fill out a time card and the FAQ.

Updated · Written by the HoursLog team