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How to use this calculator#
- Fill in real clock times, row by rowEach day is calculated on its own in whole minutes, so no rounding error accumulates into the weekly figure. A row whose end time is earlier than its start is treated as an overnight shift automatically.
- Enter unpaid breaks onlyA paid 15-minute rest break is already inside your worked time and deducting it would cost you the pay. Only the lunch or break you clock out for belongs in the break column.
- Round each clock entry, never the weekly totalIf your employer rounds to the nearest quarter hour, apply that to each start and end time before entering it. Rounding the week's total instead can shift the result by half an hour or more.
- Add your hourly rate lastGross pay is decimal hours × rate, before tax and deductions. Overtime is shown as hours rather than pay, because premium rates differ by employer, state and whether you are exempt.
The formula#
Weekly timesheet totals
Daily minutes = (End − Start) − unpaid break, adding 1,440 if End is earlier than Start • Week hours = Σ daily minutes ÷ 60 • Gross = Week hours × Rate • Overtime hours = max(0, Week hours − 40)
- Start
- Clock-in time for that day
- End
- Clock-out time for that day
- unpaid break
- Minutes of break you are not paid for — normally the lunch you clock out for
- 1,440
- Minutes in a day, added once for a shift that crosses midnight
- Rate
- Your base hourly rate, applied to decimal hours
- 40
- The weekly overtime threshold under the US Fair Labor Standards Act for non-exempt employees
The FLSA threshold is weekly, not daily: a 12-hour Monday followed by four 6-hour days is 36 hours and attracts no federal overtime. Several states add a daily rule on top — California pays time-and-a-half beyond 8 hours in a day and double time beyond 12 — and those apply in addition to the weekly test. The workweek itself is a fixed, recurring 168-hour period your employer designates; it does not have to start on a Monday.
How the weekly total is built#
Each row is calculated on its own: the end time minus the start time, less any unpaid break minutes. A 08:30 to 17:00 day with a 45-minute lunch is 510 minus 45, or 465 minutes — 7 hours 45 minutes. Daily results are kept in whole minutes so no rounding error creeps into the weekly figure.
The week is the sum of those daily minute totals, shown both as hours and minutes and as decimal hours. Five 7-hour-45-minute days come to 2,325 minutes: 38 hours 45 minutes, or 38.75 decimal. Payroll systems almost always want the decimal form, while rota software and holiday balances usually use hours and minutes.
Breaks, overnight shifts and rounding#
Only unpaid breaks should be entered. A paid 15-minute tea break stays inside your worked time and would be double-counted if you deducted it. In many jurisdictions a rest break becomes mandatory beyond a shift length threshold — commonly 6 hours in the UK and after 5 hours in several US states — so long rows without a break entry are worth a second look.
A row whose end time is earlier than its start time is treated as an overnight shift and gains 24 hours, so 21:00 to 05:30 is 8 hours 30 minutes rather than a negative value. If your employer rounds clock-ins to the nearest quarter hour, round each start and end time before entering it; rounding the weekly total instead can shift the result by half an hour or more.
Gross pay and overtime#
Gross pay is decimal hours multiplied by your hourly rate — 38.75 hours at $22 is $852.50 — before tax, national insurance or any other deduction, so your take-home will be lower. Overtime is shown as hours worked beyond 40 in the week, which is the threshold the US Fair Labor Standards Act uses for non-exempt employees.
Overtime is displayed as hours, not extra pay, because premium rates vary: time-and-a-half is common, double time applies on some holidays, and salaried exempt staff may get nothing. Multiply the overtime hours by your own premium rate and add it to the base figure. Some states, California among them, also apply a daily overtime threshold after 8 hours.
Worked examples#
A full week, row by row
A five-day week with varying hours and unpaid lunches, at $22 an hour.
- Mon 08:30–17:00 (510 min) less a 45-minute lunch = 465 minutes
- Tue 08:30–17:00 (510 min) less 45 = 465 minutes
- Wed 09:00–18:15 (555 min) less 60 = 495 minutes
- Thu 08:30–16:45 (495 min) less 30 = 465 minutes
- Fri 08:30–14:00 (330 min) with no break = 330 minutes
- Total = 465 + 465 + 495 + 465 + 330 = 2,220 minutes
- 2,220 ÷ 60 = 37.00 hours exactly, and 37.00 × 22 = 814.00
37 hours 0 minutes — 37.00 decimal hours and $814.00 gross. Below 40, so no overtime.
A week with overtime
45.5 hours worked at a $20 base rate, with time-and-a-half beyond 40.
- Regular hours = 40; overtime hours = 45.5 − 40 = 5.5
- Regular pay = 40 × 20 = $800.00
- Overtime rate = 20 × 1.5 = $30.00
- Overtime pay = 5.5 × 30 = $165.00
- Gross = 800 + 165 = $965.00
$965.00. The same 45.5 hours paid flat at $20 would be $910, so the overtime premium is worth $55 that week.
Reference tables#
| Day | In | Out | Unpaid break | Net worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 08:30 | 17:00 | 45 min | 7:45 (465 min) |
| Tuesday | 08:30 | 17:00 | 45 min | 7:45 (465 min) |
| Wednesday | 09:00 | 18:15 | 60 min | 8:15 (495 min) |
| Thursday | 08:30 | 16:45 | 30 min | 7:45 (465 min) |
| Friday | 08:30 | 14:00 | none | 5:30 (330 min) |
| Week total | — | — | 180 min | 37:00 (2,220 min) |
37 hours 0 minutes is 37.00 decimal hours, and $814.00 gross at $22 an hour. Rounding each row to the nearest quarter hour before summing can move a five-day total by up to 37 minutes, so keep the minutes exact and round once at the end.
| Minutes past the quarter hour | Rounds to |
|---|---|
| 1 to 7 | the quarter hour just passed (down) |
| 8 to 14 | the next quarter hour (up) |
| Example: clock in 08:07 | 08:00 |
| Example: clock in 08:08 | 08:15 |
| Example: clock out 17:07 | 17:00 |
| Example: clock out 17:08 | 17:15 |
Rounding is only permissible when it is neutral over time — an employer may not round exclusively in its own favour. If your rounded hours are consistently below your actual hours, that is worth raising.
| Hours worked | $18/hour | $22/hour | $28/hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | $630.00 | $770.00 | $980.00 |
| 37.5 | $675.00 | $825.00 | $1,050.00 |
| 40 | $720.00 | $880.00 | $1,120.00 |
| 42 | $774.00 | $946.00 | $1,204.00 |
| 45 | $855.00 | $1,045.00 | $1,330.00 |
| 48 | $936.00 | $1,144.00 | $1,456.00 |
| 50 | $990.00 | $1,210.00 | $1,540.00 |
| 55 | $1,125.00 | $1,375.00 | $1,750.00 |
| 60 | $1,260.00 | $1,540.00 | $1,960.00 |
A standard 40-hour year is 40 × 52 = 2,080 hours, so $22 an hour is $45,760 a year before any overtime, holiday or deduction.
Common mistakes#
- Deducting a paid breakUnder the FLSA, short rest breaks of roughly 20 minutes or less are counted as hours worked and must be paid. Entering a paid 15-minute break in the break column removes it from your total twice over — once in reality, once on paper.
- Writing 7 hours 30 minutes as 7.30The decimal is 7.50. Written as 7.30 you lose 12 minutes a day, roughly an hour a week and around 52 hours a year. Payroll multiplies whatever decimal you supply, so the error goes through unchallenged.
- Rounding every row before adding themFive rows each rounded to the nearest quarter hour can move the weekly total by more than half an hour in either direction. Sum the exact minutes first, then apply any rounding your employer's policy requires.
- Assuming overtime is purely a weekly testThe federal rule is above 40 hours in a workweek, but California pays time-and-a-half beyond 8 hours in a day and double time beyond 12, and other states have their own thresholds. A week under 40 hours can still contain paid overtime.
Frequently asked questions#
Should I include my lunch break?
Enter it in the break column only if it is unpaid. Paid breaks are already part of your worked time and deducting them would understate your hours.
How do I enter a night shift that crosses midnight?
Just enter the real clock times. When the end time is earlier than the start, the row is treated as overnight and a full day is added automatically.
How is overtime calculated?
Any hours above 40 in the week are shown as overtime hours. Premium rates are not applied, since time-and-a-half, double time and exempt status all differ by employer and state.
Why are my hours shown as a decimal?
Payroll multiplies decimal hours by your rate. Remember 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 decimal, not 7.30 — the minutes are divided by 60.
Key terms#
- Gross pay
- Decimal hours multiplied by your rate, before tax, insurance or any other deduction. Your take-home will be lower.
- Unpaid break
- A break you clock out for, typically a meal period of 30 minutes or more. Deducted from worked time; short rest breaks are not.
- Workweek
- A fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 consecutive hours designated by the employer. Overtime is assessed within it and cannot be averaged across two weeks.
- FLSA
- The US Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets the 40-hour weekly overtime threshold for non-exempt employees.
- Exempt vs non-exempt
- Non-exempt employees must be paid overtime; exempt employees, meeting salary and duties tests, need not be.
- Decimal hours
- Hours with minutes as a fraction of 60 — 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75. The only format payroll should receive.
- 7-minute rule
- The convention permitting rounding of clock entries to the nearest quarter hour, provided the rounding is neutral over time.
Sources#
- Overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act — US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the Fair Labor Standards Act — US Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division
- Overtime frequently asked questions, including daily thresholds — California Department of Industrial Relations
Figures last checked .
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