How to use the time card calculator
- Add a row for each shift with the clock-in and clock-out times. You can type 24-hour times (17:30) or AM/PM (5:30 PM).
- Enter the unpaid break in minutes, such as a 30-minute lunch.
- Optionally enter your hourly rate and choose an overtime rule to see your gross pay.
The formula
Shift hours = Clock out − Clock in − Unpaid break (add 24 h if the shift ends after midnight) Total hours = Sum of all shifts Decimal hours = Hours + Minutes ÷ 60 Pay = Regular hours × Rate + Overtime hours × Rate × 1.5
Worked example
Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch:
- Each day: 8 h 30 min − 30 min = 8:00
- Week: 5 × 8 = 40 hours — no overtime under the federal rule
- At $20 an hour: 40 × $20 = $800 gross pay
Stay one extra hour each day and the week becomes 45 hours: 40 × $20 + 5 × $30 = $950.
Minutes to decimal hours
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Breaks, meals and the law
Federal law does not require employers to give breaks, but when they do, short rest breaks (commonly 5–20 minutes) count as hours worked and must be paid. Meal periods of 30 minutes or more are not work time if you are completely relieved of duty. Several states, including California, New York and Washington, require meal or rest breaks after a certain number of hours. If you eat at your desk while answering phones, that time is generally work time.
Tips for accurate time cards
- Record times as you go rather than reconstructing the week from memory.
- Note overnight shifts clearly with the date the shift started.
- Keep your own copy of hours worked — it helps if a paycheck looks wrong.
- Check the workweek: overtime is based on a fixed 7-day workweek set by the employer, which may not run Monday to Sunday.
- Freelancers can use the same table to bill clients; multiply decimal hours by your rate.
Rounding and the 7-minute rule
Many employers round punch times to the nearest quarter hour. Under the common “7-minute rule”, a punch 1–7 minutes past the quarter hour rounds down and 8–14 minutes rounds up. US Department of Labor rules allow rounding only if it averages out so employees are fully paid for all time worked over a period. If your employer rounds, enter the rounded times to match your paycheck, or the real times to check that you are being paid fairly. California courts have been stricter about rounding, so workers there should keep a record of actual punch times.