How to Calculate Hours Worked (Timesheets & Payroll)

Clock time to decimal hours

Pay is calculated in decimal hours, so minutes must be converted: divide the minutes by 60. 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.5 hours; 8 hours 15 minutes is 8.25. The common mistake is treating :30 as 0.30 instead of 0.50 — always divide the minutes by 60, not by 100.

Subtracting the break

Work out the gross span from clock-in to clock-out, then subtract unpaid breaks. Clock in at 9:00 and out at 17:30 is 8.5 hours gross; take off a 30-minute unpaid lunch and you have 8.0 paid hours. Whether breaks are paid depends on local law and your employer, so know which of yours count.

Totalling a week and overtime

Add each day's paid hours for the weekly total. Many places pay overtime — often 1.5x — beyond a threshold such as 40 hours a week, so split the total into regular and overtime hours before multiplying by the rate. The Hours Calculator adds a week of shifts and handles the break subtraction.

Shifts past midnight and rounding

For a shift that crosses midnight, add 24 hours to the clock-out before subtracting: out at 2:00 after clocking in at 22:00 is (26:00 - 22:00) = 4 hours. On rounding, many employers round to the nearest quarter-hour; done fairly it evens out, but always round consistently so it neither favours nor cheats either side.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert 45 minutes to decimal? 45 / 60 = 0.75 hours.

Are breaks paid? It varies by law and employer — short rest breaks often are, meal breaks often are not.

How is overtime figured? Usually hours beyond a weekly threshold are paid at a higher multiple, commonly 1.5x.