How to use the hours worked calculator
Enter the shift start and end times, choose whether the shift ends the same day or next day, and enter unpaid break minutes. The result subtracts the break from elapsed shift time.
Paid-hours formula
The calculator is useful for checking time-card math. Payroll policies may round punches or treat breaks differently.
Example: Isla checks an eight-hour paid shift
Isla starts at 9:00 AM and finishes at 5:30 PM, with a 30-minute unpaid break. The elapsed shift is 8 hours 30 minutes. After the break, paid time is 8 hours.
For payroll expressed in decimal hours, 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 hours, not 8.30. Overtime premiums and payroll rounding are separate from this time calculation.
Paid hours equal shift duration minus unpaid break
The calculator first finds elapsed shift time, then subtracts the unpaid break entered in minutes. A paid break should not be subtracted from paid hours simply because the employee stopped working during that period.
Make sure the break entry reflects the employer's actual timekeeping policy for the shift you are checking.
Overnight shifts need a date rollover
A shift that begins late in the evening and ends the next morning crosses midnight. The calculator's overnight setting treats the end time as the following day before subtracting the break.
For shifts longer than one overnight span or schedules crossing multiple dates, a full timecard system is more appropriate.
Payroll rounding can differ from exact elapsed time
This tool calculates from the times you enter. Employers can use lawful timekeeping and rounding policies that affect payroll records, and paid time can also be influenced by meal-period rules, travel time, on-call time, or other circumstances.
Use the result as an arithmetic check, not as a determination of wage-law compliance.
Assumptions and limitations
What the estimate assumes
Does not determine overtime, paid-break rules, rounding policies, or wage-law compliance.
Hours Worked Calculator FAQs
Can I calculate an overnight shift?
Yes. Select next day for the shift end.
How do I subtract lunch?
Enter the unpaid break in minutes.
Does this calculate overtime pay?
No. Use the Overtime Pay Calculator for a basic overtime wage estimate.
Does this apply payroll rounding?
No. It uses the exact entered times and break minutes.
How do I subtract lunch from hours worked?
Calculate the elapsed shift time, then subtract the unpaid lunch or break duration. Do not subtract a break that is paid under the scenario you are checking.
Can this calculate an overnight shift?
Yes. Turn on the overnight option so the end time is treated as occurring on the next day.
Time-card math only. Employer policies and wage laws may use specific rules for breaks, rounding, and compensable time.