How to calculate hours worked (with an example)
To total a time card by hand: convert each clock time to a 24-hour value, subtract the start from the end, then subtract unpaid breaks. Repeat for each day and add the results.
Payroll systems need decimal hours, which is where most manual mistakes happen: 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.50, not 8.30. The calculator above shows both formats, and the chart below covers every minute value.
Minutes to decimal hours chart
Divide minutes by 60 to get the decimal. The quarter-hour points are the ones payroll uses most:
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 min | 0.08 | 35 min | 0.58 |
| 10 min | 0.17 | 40 min | 0.67 |
| 15 min | 0.25 | 45 min | 0.75 |
| 20 min | 0.33 | 50 min | 0.83 |
| 25 min | 0.42 | 55 min | 0.92 |
| 30 min | 0.50 | 60 min | 1.00 |
Need to convert a specific value both ways? Use the dedicated decimal hours converter.
The 7-minute rounding rule
Many employers round punches to the nearest quarter hour. Under the common interpretation of federal rules, a punch 1–7 minutes past the quarter hour may round down, and 8 or more minutes rounds up — so clocking in at 8:07 becomes 8:00, while 8:08 becomes 8:15 — the full printable 7-minute rule chart covers every minute. Rounding has to work neutrally over time; a system that only ever rounds in the employer's favor isn't compliant. See what any punch becomes with the time clock rounding calculator.
Overtime basics
The federal FLSA requires time-and-a-half for hours over 40 in a workweek for non-exempt employees. A few states go further with daily overtime — California, for example, pays overtime after 8 hours in a single day. Toggle "Daily OT" above if that applies to you (the overtime laws by state lookup shows exactly which states add daily rules), and use the overtime pay calculator to work out exactly what a given number of OT hours is worth, or the salary to hourly calculator to compare an hourly job against a salaried offer.
Frequently asked questions
Do lunch breaks count as hours worked?
Bona fide meal breaks (typically 30+ minutes, fully relieved of duty) are unpaid and don't count as hours worked under federal law. Short rest breaks of 5–20 minutes generally must be paid. Enter only unpaid break minutes in the Break column — or clock your lunch out and in exactly with the time card calculator with lunch break.
Can I enter overnight shifts?
Yes — if your time out is earlier than your time in (say 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM), the calculator treats it as an overnight shift automatically.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser. Auto-save uses your device's local storage only, and the shareable link simply encodes the times in the URL itself.
How do I calculate a two-week pay period?
Use the biweekly time card calculator, which totals 14 days and applies overtime per workweek, the way payroll does.