Employee attendance register

What the employee attendance register does

An attendance register is the plainest payroll control there is. This one records the date, the employee, their status and the times in and out, works out the hours for you, and summarises how many days were present, absent, on leave, sick or late, so you can see patterns before they become a problem.

Who it is for

Shops, clinics, schools, workshops and offices that pay by the hour or by the day and need a record of who was there, and managers who want to check attendance against pay.

How to use the workbook

1. Type the date, the employee and choose their status for the day.
2. Enter the time in and the time out for anyone present or late.
3. Read the hours worked, calculated for each row.
4. Open the Summary sheet for the number of days by status and the total hours.
5. Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.

What is inside

• Date, employee, status and times in and out
• Hours worked calculated for every row
• Dropdown for present, absent, leave, sick and late
• Totals of hours and days at the top
• A summary sheet with a chart by status

The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Register, Summary. The main table has the columns Date; Employee; Status; Time in; Time out; Hours worked; Notes. Yellow cells are for you to fill in and grey cells calculate by themselves, so leave the grey cells alone. The example rows show how it works; type over them with your own entries.

Tips for getting it right

• Record attendance on the day, not from memory at month end.
• Have each employee confirm their own times where you can.
• Use the same status words every time so the summary adds up.
• Keep each month's register with that month's payroll.

Why keep this record

Staff records go wrong in small, repeated ways: a figure typed twice, a deadline forgotten, a promise that nobody wrote down. A tidy workbook that everyone uses the same way removes most of those problems. It also gives you something to show an employee, an auditor or a labour officer when a question comes up months later, and it makes the next payroll quicker because the facts are already in one place.

Questions people ask

Do I need to know Excel formulas? No. Type into the yellow cells and the rest is worked out for you. The formulas are visible if you want to see how a figure is reached.

Can I add rows or change the layout? You can add your own columns to the right and your own notes. If you insert rows inside a table, copy the grey formula cells down so the new rows calculate too.

Will it work on my phone or in Google Sheets? Yes for viewing and typing, but dropdown lists and the charts look best in desktop Excel or LibreOffice.

Keeping it safe and up to date

Payroll records are personal data and tax records at once, so keep the file somewhere only the people who need it can open, and keep each month's copy for at least five years. Statutory rates such as NSSF limits and the Housing Levy change, so check the Rates sheet against the official source before you rely on a figure.

Read how to run payroll for a small business for the wider picture. See more payroll templates or ask us for a custom one.

The workbook works in Microsoft Excel, LibreOffice and Google Sheets. It is a tool to help you work out and record figures, not tax, legal or accounting advice, and it is not affiliated with the Kenya Revenue Authority. If something does not work as described, contact us and we will put it right.

Related guides, calculators and templates

• Guide: How to run payroll for a small business in Kenya
• Guide: How PAYE is calculated in Kenya, step by step
• Guide: NSSF contributions explained: tiers, limits and what you pay
• Another template: Annual PAYE and payroll summary
• Another template: Annual leave planner and register
• Another template: Benefits and allowances register

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