Work Hours Calculator

Work hours at a glance#

A work hours calculator, also called an hours worked calculator, works out the hours you worked in a shift from a start time and an end time, minus any unpaid breaks. It subtracts the start time from the end time, then deducts the break to give the net hours worked.

For example, a shift from 9:00 to 17:30 is 8 hours and 30 minutes of clock time. Subtract a 30 minute unpaid lunch and you have 8 hours worked. In 12-hour time the same shift runs 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM; the math is identical once you read both ends on the same clock.

To put the result in decimal hours for payroll, divide the leftover minutes by 60. So 30 minutes is 0.5 hours, and 8 hours 30 minutes becomes 8.5 hours.

To total a week, add the net hours from each day. Five 8 hour days come to 40 hours, and any hours past your overtime threshold count as overtime.

Enter each day's start time, end time and break minutes in the calculator above for the exact weekly total in hours, minutes and decimal hours. Times are rounded to the nearest minute, so check the result against your timesheet rounding rules before payroll.

How breaks and overtime work#

Paid hours are the clocked time minus any unpaid break: end time minus start time, then minus the break. A 30 minute paid break stays in the total; a 30 minute unpaid break comes out of it.

Overtime is the hours past your weekly threshold, set to 40 hours by default. Hours over that line are usually paid at 1.5 times the normal rate, so 45 worked hours splits into 40 regular and 5 overtime. Adjust the threshold in the calculator if your rule differs.

Worked examples#

Standard week with an unpaid lunch#

A shift from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM is 8 hours of clock time. With a 1 hour unpaid lunch, that is 7 hours worked per day. Over five days, 7 x 5 = 35 hours, all regular and no overtime.

A week that runs into overtime#

A shift from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM is 10 hours of clock time. Take off a 30 minute unpaid lunch for 9.5 hours a day. Across six days that is 9.5 x 6 = 57 hours: 40 regular and 17 overtime.

Decimal hours and clock formats#

For payroll, convert the minutes part to decimal by dividing by 60: 15 minutes is 0.25, 45 minutes is 0.75. So 38 hours 30 minutes is 38.5 hours. The calculator accepts both 12-hour AM/PM and 24-hour times; pick one format and use it for every entry so the start and end read on the same clock.

Work hours FAQ#

How does an unpaid break change my hours?#

It is subtracted from the clocked time. A 9-to-5 shift is 8 clocked hours; a 1 hour unpaid lunch leaves 7 paid hours, and a 30 minute unpaid lunch leaves 7.5. Paid breaks are not deducted.

When does overtime start?#

At your weekly threshold, 40 hours by default. Hours above it are overtime, commonly paid at 1.5 times the base rate. Change the threshold in the settings if your employer or region uses a different number.

How do I get decimal hours for payroll?#

Divide the leftover minutes by 60 and add the whole hours. 8 hours 30 minutes is 8 + (30 / 60) = 8.5 hours, the format most payroll systems use to multiply by an hourly rate.

How do I total a week?#

Add each day's paid hours. Five 8 hour days come to 40 hours; anything beyond your threshold that week counts as overtime.

Is the calculator free?#

Yes. Enter each day's start time, end time and unpaid break minutes, and it returns the daily and weekly totals in hours, minutes and decimal hours at no cost.