Work Hours Calculator (Timesheet)

Calculate hours worked from clock-in and clock-out times, minus unpaid breaks. Results come in both hh:mm and decimal hours — the format payroll systems want — plus weekly and pay projections.

How to use this calculator

Enter your start and end times in 24-hour HH:MM format.
Enter unpaid break minutes — lunch, rest breaks.
Optionally add your hourly rate to see the shift's pay.
Overnight shifts work automatically: 22:00 to 06:00 counts as 8 hours.

Formula used

Hours worked = (End − Start) − Break · Decimal hours = minutes ÷ 60

Payroll systems use decimal hours: 7 h 30 m = 7.5, not 7.3. The conversion divides the minutes by 60 — the single most common timesheet mistake is typing 7.30 for seven-and-a-half hours.

Example calculation

Worked example

09:00 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break: 8.5 hours − 0.5 = 8h 00m = 8.00 decimal hours.

At a rate of 20/hour that's 160 for the day, 800 for a five-day week.

hh:mm vs decimal hours

Clock time and payroll time use different arithmetic. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7:45 on a clock but 7.75 in decimal — because 45 minutes is 45/60 = 0.75 of an hour. Mixing the two formats (entering 7.45 for 7:45) shorts you 18 minutes of pay every shift it happens.

The quarter-hour anchors are worth memorizing: :15 = .25, :30 = .50, :45 = .75. For anything else, divide the minutes by 60.

Why use this calculator?

Fill timesheets in correct decimal hours without the :45 = .75 mental math.
Verify your payslip: hours × rate, computed independently of your employer's system.
Handle overnight shifts that trip up simple end-minus-start subtraction.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert minutes to decimal hours?

Divide by 60. 45 minutes = 0.75 h, 20 minutes = 0.33 h, 7h 15m = 7.25 h. Never write minutes after a decimal point directly — 7.45 means 7 hours 27 minutes, not 7:45.

How does the calculator handle overnight shifts?

If the end time is earlier than the start time, it assumes the shift crossed midnight and adds 24 hours. A 22:00–06:00 shift is 8 hours.

Are breaks paid or unpaid?

This calculator subtracts the break, treating it as unpaid — the common arrangement for lunch breaks. If your breaks are paid, enter 0 in the break field. Local labor law determines what your employer must pay.