Time Card Calculator

How to use the time card calculator

1. Type the start (In) and finish (Out) time for each day you worked, as 9, 9a, 9:30pm or 1730.
2. In the Break box, enter unpaid break minutes, such as 30 for a half-hour lunch.
3. Look at the bottom for the total, which is shown as hours and minutes (8:15) and as a decimal (8.25). If you need pay, add an hourly rate or overtime, then use Print, Download CSV (a spreadsheet file) or Copy link.

How hours are calculated

For each day, take the finish time and take away the start time, then take away the unpaid break. All the days get added together for the week. Hours can be shown two ways: 8:15 is 8 hours and 15 minutes, and 8.25 is that same time written with a point (a decimal), which is how pay is usually worked out. The two weekly totals always show the same amount of time. When the finish time comes before the start time, the shift counts as running past midnight.

Breaks

Any break minutes you enter are taken off that day's hours. Only unpaid breaks should be entered. Break entries of 30, 45, 1:00 or 1h30 all work here.

Overtime

U.S. law says each hour over 40 in a week must pay at least 1.5 times your normal hourly rate. This is the Fair Labor Standards Act; the Labor Department explains it in Fact Sheet #23, a short guide to overtime pay. Some states, and some employers, also pay extra once you work more than 8 hours in a day. Choose the rule your employer uses, so your total matches your pay. If you turn on both overtime rules, no hour is counted as overtime twice. If your card covers more than one week, each week is checked for overtime on its own.

Rounding

Some employers round start and finish times to the nearest 15 minutes, 5 minutes or 6 minutes (a tenth of an hour), and U.S. federal rules allow this as long as the rounding doesn't cost workers pay overall. The federal rounding rule is 29 CFR 785.48. When you round to 15 minutes, 9:07 is changed to 9:00, while 9:08 is changed to 9:15. Up to 7 minutes past the quarter hour rounds down, and 8 minutes or more rounds up. Unless your employer rounds times, set this to "Don't round".

Print, save or share your time card

Choosing Print opens the print window, where Save as PDF (a file you can keep or email) is also available. A signature line appears on the printed card. Choose Download CSV to save a spreadsheet file that opens in Excel or Google Sheets. The Copy link button gives you a web address that reopens this exact time card. Until you press Clear, your entries stay saved on your own device, and they are never sent anywhere.

Time card calculator FAQ

How do I calculate hours worked on a time card?

For one day, take the finish time, take away the start time, and take off any unpaid break. Then add the days up for the week. Say you work from 8:30 in the morning to 5:15 in the afternoon with a 30-minute lunch: that comes to 8 hours and 15 minutes, or 8.25 hours.

How do I convert minutes to decimal hours for payroll?

A decimal hour is part of an hour written with a point, and the calculator works it out for you. For example, 15 minutes shows as 0.25 of an hour, 30 minutes as 0.50 and 45 minutes as 0.75, so 7 hours 45 minutes shows as 7.75. You will see both ways of showing it for each day and for the week.

How are lunch breaks handled?

Use the Break box for unpaid break minutes: 30, 45, 60, or 1:00. That amount is taken off the day's hours. Leave paid breaks out, since only unpaid time comes off your hours.

Does the calculator count overtime?

Yes, as long as you switch it on. In the U.S., hours above 40 in a week must be paid at 1.5 times your normal hourly rate or more. In some states, such as California, extra pay also starts once you pass 8 hours in a day. Pick "After 8 hours a day" or both. An hour is never counted as overtime twice.

What is the 7-minute rule for rounding?

It is a way some employers round your start and finish times to the nearest quarter hour. A time up to 7 minutes past the quarter hour rounds down, and 8 minutes or more rounds up, so 9:07 turns into 9:00, and 9:08 into 9:15. Only pick a rounding option if your employer uses one.

Can I print or save my time card?

Yes, you can. Pressing Print opens the print window, where you can also pick Save as PDF. The Download CSV button saves a spreadsheet file. The Copy link button gives you a web address that reopens this same time card. Pressing Clear removes what you typed.

Does it work for overnight shifts and 24-hour time?

Yes, it works for both. A shift that finishes at an earlier time than it starts is counted as going past midnight, so 10:00 at night to 6:00 in the morning totals 8 hours. Choose 24h to type times like 2200 and 0600. With 12h, 1730 is read as 5:30 PM.