WhatsApp timesheets for site crews: free template, Google Sheets workflow and UK compliance

Category: Templates & Resources • Niche: timesheets, WhatsApp, Google Sheets, payroll, NMW, UK GDPR

Contents

• Who this is for
• Quick start
• Template: WhatsApp message + Google Sheet layout
• How the automation works
• Step-by-step setup (Make.com route)
• DIY no-automation option
• UK compliance: Working Time, NMW and data protection
• Troubleshooting and tips
• FAQs

Who this is for

• Small to mid-sized construction firms who want a simple way for site workers to submit hours.
• Crews already using WhatsApp who don’t want another app.
• Payroll/admin teams who live in Google Sheets or export to Xero/QuickBooks.

Quick start

• Use the message format below. Ask workers to send it every Friday by 5 pm.
• Set up a single company WhatsApp Business number for timesheets (not a personal phone).
• Capture messages into a Google Sheet automatically (Make.com, Pabbly, or n8n), or export the chat weekly and paste.
• Keep sheets as your system of record for 6 years to satisfy NMW. See compliance section below with links.

Template: WhatsApp message + Google Sheet layout

Copy-paste for workers

Timesheet – [Your Name], Week Ending [DD/MM/YYYY] Site: [Name] Mon [start-finish] break [mins] = [hrs] Tue … Total regular hours: [X] Overtime hours: [Y] Comments: [optional]

Supervisor approval reply

APPROVED – [Worker Name], Week Ending [DD/MM/YYYY]: [X reg][Y OT]. Signed: [Supervisor Name].

Google Sheet – columns to create

Employer, PAYE Ref, Worker Name, Employee ID, Job Title, Pay Ref Start, Pay Ref End, Date, Day, Start Time, End Time, Unpaid Break (mins), Hours Worked (decimal), Hour Type (time work/travel/training/on-call), Site/Assignment, Base Rate (£/hr), Hours at Base, Pay at Base (£), Other NMW-Countable Pay (£), Deductions Related to Work (£), Notes, Approver Name, Approval Date, Period Total Hours, Period Total NMW-Countable Pay (£), Effective Hourly Rate (£), NMW Band/Rate Used

Tip: Add a simple formula to calculate hours from start, finish and break, and a pass/fail check that flags if Effective Hourly Rate is below the current NMW for the worker’s age/apprentice status.

How the automation works

• Workers WhatsApp the template to your timesheet inbox number.
• Your automation parses the message and pushes rows into a Google Sheet.
• Supervisor’s APPROVED reply is captured on the same record.
• The Sheet sums hours and can feed payroll or export CSV for Xero/QuickBooks.

Visual flow

• WhatsApp Business inbox → Parser → Google Sheets → Payroll export

Step-by-step setup (Make.com route)

What you need

• WhatsApp Business (Cloud API, via a provider) on a company-owned number
• A Google Workspace account with a Timesheets spreadsheet
• A Make.com account

Steps

1. Create the Sheet

• Add the columns listed in the Template section.
• Freeze headers; set data validation for Hour Type (time work, travel, training, on-call).

2. Create a Make scenario

• Trigger: WhatsApp Business Cloud – New message received (use an approved inbound webhook/provider connector).
• Text parser: Map message lines to fields. Use regex or line numbers (e.g., line starting “Mon” captures the day block).
• Loop days: Iterator module to split daily lines into separate rows.
• Supervisor approval: If message starts with “APPROVED –”, update matching rows for that worker/week ending.
• Google Sheets: Add Row for each day; Update Row for approvals.

3. Add guardrails

• If Hours Worked pushes Effective Hourly Rate below NMW, post a Slack/Teams alert or colour the row.
• Log failures to a “_errors” tab for manual review.

4. Test end-to-end

• Send a fake worker message and an APPROVED reply.
• Check rows, sums and the weekly PDF export.

A helpful primer: Make’s official tutorial on WhatsApp automations shows the building blocks you’ll need. Make tutorial on WhatsApp automations

DIY no-automation option

• Export the WhatsApp chat each Friday (without media) and paste into the Sheet.
• Use a simple Apps Script to split lines into columns and fill the daily rows.
• Keep the exported chat file alongside the Sheet as the raw evidence.

UK compliance: Working Time, NMW and data protection

Working Time Regulations (WTR)

• Keep “adequate” records to prove compliance; 2-year retention. You don’t have to log every minute if you can still evidence the 48-hour average, night work limits, etc. Working Time Regulations – reg. 9

National Minimum Wage (NMW)

• Keep pay/hours records for 6 years and be able to produce a single document per worker per pay period. GOV.UK NMW enforcement
• From April 2019, payslips must show hours when pay varies by time worked. GOV.UK payslips

Data protection (UK GDPR)

• Treat WhatsApp as a capture channel only. Store the record in your Sheet or payroll system for retention.
• Use company-controlled WhatsApp Business on managed devices; don’t use disappearing messages.
• Update your privacy notice and BYOD policy. If data may be routed to the US, note the UK-US data bridge/DPF where applicable. ICO employment records

Troubleshooting and tips

• Messages are inconsistent: Send a one-screen example screenshot to workers; make fields bold in the auto-reply.
• Approvals missing: Create an automation that nudges supervisors every Friday 4 pm with the open list.
• Complex rules: If you use multiple rates, allowances or geo evidence, consider a dedicated T&A app; keep WhatsApp only for reminders.
• Payroll checks: Add a tab with current NMW rates and a VLOOKUP to flag any risks.

FAQs

Q: Is WhatsApp allowed for timesheets? A: Yes, if you control the account, export to your system of record, and follow UK GDPR. Don’t rely on disappearing messages.

Q: How long do I keep the records? A: Keep timesheet/pay records for at least 6 years for NMW. WTR is 2 years; keep the longer period.

Q: Do payslips need to show hours? A: If pay varies by time worked, payslips must show the number of hours paid. See GOV.UK payslips.

Q: Can I use workers’ personal phones? A: You can, but have a BYOD policy with basic security and clarify retention/export. Company devices are cleaner.

Q: What if workers send photos of paper timesheets instead? A: That’s fine—store the image, enter the totals into the Sheet, and keep both as evidence.

Q: Could I do this with Pabbly or n8n instead of Make? A: Yes. Any tool that can read WhatsApp Business messages and write to Google Sheets works. Look for a “new message” trigger and a “create row” action.

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