Work Ticket

A work ticket is a record that documents the time an employee spends performing a specific job or task. It serves as the basis for billing customers for direct labor and for calculating wages for hourly employees. Work tickets can be paper forms or digital records and are often used interchangeably with timesheets in payroll contexts. When used to document work performed for a customer, a work ticket can resemble a work order but typically focuses on time tracking and billing.

Key takeaways

• A work ticket records time spent on a specific job and supports billing and payroll.
• Beyond pay and invoicing, work tickets help track labor costs, productivity, project progress, and profitability.
• Work tickets can be paper or digital; digital systems enable automation, integration with payroll/billing, and more accurate records.
• Work tickets differ from work orders in that work orders commonly include instructions, cost estimates, and authorization details.

What a work ticket records

Common fields on a work ticket include:
* Employee name or ID
* Date and job or task code
* Start and stop times, break periods, total hours
* Description of the work performed
* Billing or hourly rate and estimated labor cost
* Customer or project identifier (when applicable)
* Parts or materials used (if billable)
* Supervisor approvals or signatures

Benefits for businesses

Work tickets provide several practical advantages:
* Ensure accurate payroll for hourly and temporary staff
* Provide documentation for customer billing and disputes
* Track labor costs by job, project, or customer
* Measure productivity and employee time allocation
* Support budgeting and forecasting of labor needs
* Monitor project progress and identify bottlenecks
* Help calculate project profitability and cost control

Work tickets vs. timesheets

Timesheet is often used synonymously with work ticket when the primary purpose is recording hours for payroll. Timesheets are typically completed on a regular schedule (weekly, biweekly, monthly) and go through supervisor approval before being processed by payroll.
Digital timesheet systems (punch clocks, electronic timecards, mobile apps) can automate approvals, integrate with payroll and billing, and use features such as biometric verification to reduce time fraud.

Work tickets vs. work orders

Work orders are more common in service and repair contexts and generally include:
* Task instructions or problem description
* Cost estimates and authorization to perform work
* Customer details and who will be billed
* Date and expected labor time

A work ticket focused on timekeeping can be part of or attached to a work order. For example, an auto-repair shop issues a work order authorizing repairs and then uses work tickets to log the time each mechanic spends on different tasks; those time entries determine the labor portion of the customer’s bill.

Best practices

• Use consistent job codes and clear task descriptions to simplify reporting.
• Record time contemporaneously (as work is done) to improve accuracy.
• Require supervisor approval and maintain an audit trail for amendments.
• Integrate work tickets with payroll and invoicing systems to reduce manual entry and errors.
• Consider digital systems for real-time tracking, analytics, and fraud prevention.

Conclusion

Work tickets are a fundamental tool for tracking labor, supporting payroll, and billing customers. Whether paper or digital, clear, timely, and approved work tickets improve cost transparency, operational oversight, and the accuracy of labor-related financials.