How to use
- Pick one week or two weeks, and the day your workweek starts. Your employer sets the workweek, so check your pay stub or ask them.
- For each day you worked, enter the start time, the end time, and the unpaid break in minutes. In 12-hour mode, choose AM or PM next to each time. You can also type "am" or "pm" after the time.
- Add an hourly rate if you want gross pay. Leave "Calculate overtime" checked to use the federal default of 40 hours per workweek at 1.5 times your rate. Change either number if your rules are different.
- Select "Calculate". Use "Copy summary" to paste the result into a message or a spreadsheet, and "Clear" to start over.
How the hours are calculated
For each day, hours = end time minus start time, minus the unpaid break. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as running past midnight, so the calculator adds 24 hours to the end time. Then the days are added up for each workweek.
Example: Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute unpaid break. Each day is 9 hours minus 0.5 hour, which is 8.5 hours. Five days make 42.5 hours. The first 40 hours are regular time and the last 2.5 hours are overtime. At $20 an hour that is 40 × $20 = $800.00, plus 2.5 × $20 × 1.5 = $75.00, for gross pay of $875.00.
Overnight example: A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM with no break is 8 hours. The row is marked "overnight".
Decimal hours conversion table
Many payroll systems want hours as decimals. Divide the minutes by 60. The table shows the common values. For 7 hours 30 minutes, you add 0.50 to 7 and get 7.50 hours.
| Minutes | Decimal hours | Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 25 | 0.42 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 30 | 0.50 | 60 | 1.00 |
Values are rounded to two decimals. For example, 20 minutes is one-third of an hour (0.3333...) and shows as 0.33.
Overtime under federal law
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division explains the federal rule in its Fact Sheet #23. These are the points that matter for a time card:
- Covered employees must be paid overtime for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, at a rate of at least one and one-half times their regular rate of pay.
- The law applies on a workweek basis. A workweek is a fixed, regularly recurring period of 168 hours, which is seven consecutive 24-hour periods.
- Averaging hours over two or more weeks is not permitted. That is why the biweekly option here checks each week by itself.
- The federal law does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, as such.
Your state may have stricter rules, and not every worker is covered. Check with your state labor department or your employer. This calculator only applies the numbers you enter.
Breaks and lunch
The Department of Labor's Fact Sheet #22 says short rest periods, usually 20 minutes or less, are common and are customarily paid as working time. These short periods must be counted as hours worked. Bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more, generally need not be paid as work time, as long as you are completely relieved from duty to eat a regular meal. Use the break box only for time your employer does not pay. If you are not sure how your breaks are treated, ask your employer.
Common mistakes
- Reading 7:30 as 7.30. Seven hours and thirty minutes is 7.50 hours. The calculator shows both forms side by side.
- Forgetting the unpaid lunch. If your employer takes out 30 minutes, enter 30 in the break box on every day.
- Typing an overnight shift backward. 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM works as it is. You don't need to split it at midnight.
- Mixing up AM and PM. 12:00 AM is midnight and 12:00 PM is noon. Switch to 24-hour mode if that is easier for you.
- Using the wrong workweek. Overtime is counted per workweek. If your week runs Sunday to Saturday, set the start day to Sunday.
- Averaging two weeks. A 45-hour week and a 35-hour week is not 40 and 40. The 45-hour week has 5 overtime hours.
Sources
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division: Fact Sheet #23, Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA (revised October 2019) and Fact Sheet #22, Hours Worked Under the FLSA (revised July 2008). The 60 minutes in an hour is the only other number used.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked on a time card?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract any unpaid break. For example, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes. With a 30-minute unpaid lunch, that is 8 hours. Add up the days to get the week.
How do I turn hours and minutes into decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60. 30 minutes is 0.50, 15 minutes is 0.25, and 45 minutes is 0.75. So 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50 hours, not 7.30. Payroll systems that use decimal hours need the 7.50 form.
How does this calculator handle overnight shifts?
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator treats the shift as ending the next day. A shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM counts as 8 hours, and the row is marked "overnight". If you work longer than 24 hours, split the time across two rows.
When does overtime start under federal law?
The U.S. Department of Labor says employees covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must get overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, at a rate of at least one and one-half times their regular rate. The Act applies on a workweek basis, and averaging hours over two or more weeks is not permitted. Your state may have stricter rules, so check with your state labor department.
How is a biweekly time card handled for overtime?
Each week is checked on its own. If you work 45 hours in the first week and 35 in the second, the first week has 5 overtime hours. You do not get to average it out to 40 and 40. This calculator uses 7-day weeks starting on the day you pick, so set the start day to match your employer's workweek.
Is my unpaid lunch break subtracted?
Enter it in the break box and the calculator subtracts it. The Department of Labor says bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more, generally need not be paid as work time if you are completely relieved from duty. Short rest periods, usually 20 minutes or less, are customarily paid and count as hours worked. Ask your employer how your breaks are treated.
Is overtime paid for weekends or holidays?
Not just because of the day. The Department of Labor says the federal law does not require overtime pay for work on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, or regular days of rest, as such. Overtime depends on the hours in the workweek. Your employer, contract, or state law may add other rules.
Is this the same as my payroll total?
No. This is an estimate of hours and gross pay. It does not take out taxes or other deductions, and it does not apply rounding rules, shift differentials, or state daily overtime. Your employer's payroll record is the one that counts.