Overtime cost and approval tracker
Log overtime hours, apply the right multiplier, track who approved them and see the total cost approved and pending.
Overtime is a cost that creeps up unnoticed. This tracker records each overtime entry with the date, employee, hours and whether it was a normal day or a rest day or holiday, applies the multipliers stored on the Rates sheet, shows the cost, and separates approved from pending overtime so nothing is paid without sign-off.
Supervisors and finance staff in shops, factories, clinics and hotels where overtime is common, and owners who want to see its cost and control it.
What is included
- Multiplier applied by day type
- Overtime pay worked out per entry
- Approved and pending totals
- Cost by employee with a chart
- Space for 300 entries
Advertisement
Screenshots
How to use it
- Check the multipliers on the Rates sheet against your wage order or contract.
- Enter each overtime entry with the date, employee, hours, day type and hourly rate.
- Record who approved it and whether it is approved or pending.
- Read the cost per entry and the totals for approved and pending overtime.
Templates are tools to help with your own records. They are not tax or legal advice. Check the figures against official sources before filing or paying.
Advertisement
More in this category
-
Payrollpdf
Payroll policy and procedures manual
A written payroll manual: roles, monthly timetable, calculations, approvals, payment, remittances and record keeping.
KES 1,080KES 1,200-10%
View details →
-
Payrollpdf
Leave policy template for Kenyan employers
A complete leave policy covering annual, sick, maternity, paternity, compassionate and study leave, with how to apply.
KES 540KES 600-10%
View details →
-
Payrollpdf
Termination and redundancy guide with letters
How to end employment lawfully in Kenya: notice, final dues, redundancy steps and the letters you will need.
KES 900KES 1,000-10%
View details →
What the overtime cost and approval tracker does
Overtime is a cost that creeps up unnoticed. This tracker records each overtime entry with the date, employee, hours and whether it was a normal day or a rest day or holiday, applies the multipliers stored on the Rates sheet, shows the cost, and separates approved from pending overtime so nothing is paid without sign-off.
Who it is for
Supervisors and finance staff in shops, factories, clinics and hotels where overtime is common, and owners who want to see its cost and control it.
How to use the workbook
- Check the multipliers on the Rates sheet against your wage order or contract.
- Enter each overtime entry with the date, employee, hours, day type and hourly rate.
- Record who approved it and whether it is approved or pending.
- Read the cost per entry and the totals for approved and pending overtime.
- Save a copy under a new name for each month or year, so earlier records stay as they were.
What is inside
- Multiplier applied by day type
- Overtime pay worked out per entry
- Approved and pending totals
- Cost by employee with a chart
- Space for 300 entries
The workbook has these sheets: Instructions, Overtime, Summary, Rates. The main table has the columns Date; Employee; Hours; Day type; Hourly rate; Multiplier; Overtime pay; Approved by. 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
- Get approval before the overtime is worked, not after.
- Check the overtime rules for your sector and wage order.
- Use the same hourly rate calculation as your payroll.
- Review the totals monthly to see if you need more staff instead.
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. Free calculators that go with it: Overtime pay calculator. 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
- Free calculator: Overtime Pay Calculator
- 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 leave planner and register
- Another template: Overtime and leave tracker
- Another template: Shift roster and hours planner
Need something different? Request a custom template, browse all guides or see every Excel template.
Scroll inside the box to read more.