Why is overtime calculated per week instead of over the whole two weeks?
Because federal law says so. The FLSA defines overtime as hours past 40 in a single fixed workweek, and a biweekly pay period is just two of those weeks stapled together for payment convenience. An employee who works 50 hours then 30 gets 10 hours of overtime — averaging the period to 40 and paying no overtime is one of the most common (and most expensive) payroll mistakes. The sheet makes the right answer automatic: each week block runs its own split, then the period sums them.
What's the difference between biweekly and semi-monthly pay?
Biweekly means every second week — 26 pay periods a year, always the same weekday, and this sheet fits it exactly because two whole workweeks fit inside every period. Semi-monthly means twice a calendar month (say the 15th and last day) — 24 periods a year whose boundaries slice through the middle of workweeks. If you're paid semi-monthly, track time on weekly sheets and let payroll allocate them across the pay dates; a fixed two-week grid would put some days in the wrong period.
Does the sheet assume a particular payday?
No. It anchors to one thing only: the date the period starts, which you type into the “Period starting” field. Both week blocks date themselves from there, Monday through Sunday, and the arithmetic never references a pay date. Whether your employer pays the Friday after the period closes or five business days later, the sheet doesn't care — it records the hours, and payday is between you and the payroll calendar.
Can I use the biweekly sheet in Google Sheets?
Yes — the “Open in Google Sheets” button puts a copy in your own Drive with every formula intact, including the per-week overtime splits. It's the right choice when the sheet is shared: an employee fills in times from their phone during the period, the manager reviews the totals at the end, and nobody emails an attachment back and forth. The copy is yours permanently; we can't see it.
