Workday Hours Calculator
Free workday hours calculator. Enter clock-in and clock-out times plus break minutes to get exact paid hours — handles overnight shifts and lunch deductions.
Quick answer
Paid hours = clock-out − clock-in − break time. The calculator handles overnight shifts (clock-out earlier than clock-in is treated as next day) and unpaid lunch deductions. Most U.S. workers under FLSA must be paid for breaks under 20 minutes; meals 30+ minutes are unpaid if duty-free.
Workday Hours Calculator
Hours worked
How it works
Subtracts clock-in from clock-out, then deducts your unpaid break minutes. If clock-out is earlier than clock-in, the calculator assumes you worked an overnight shift and adds 24 hours.
When to use it
Filling in timesheets, calculating overtime, checking how long you actually worked vs how long you were at the office, or estimating freelance billable hours.
Common mistakes
Forgetting unpaid breaks. In most US states, lunch breaks of 30+ minutes are unpaid. Short rest breaks under 20 minutes are typically paid. Check your state and your employer's policy.
How the workday hours calculator works
The math is straightforward but easy to get wrong by hand. Total elapsed time = clock-out − clock-in. Subtract any unpaid break or meal periods to get paid hours. The calculator handles overnight shifts: if clock-out time is earlier than clock-in time (e.g., in at 22:00, out at 06:00), it adds 24 hours to clock-out to get the correct elapsed duration. Output is shown in both decimal hours (8.5) and hours-and-minutes (8h 30m).
When to use it
Filling out a weekly timesheet from a paper log of clock-in/clock-out times. Reconciling a paystub when paid hours look wrong. Calculating overtime — anything over 40 paid hours in a workweek under federal FLSA. Tracking billable vs. non-billable time on a freelance contract. Settling a dispute about how long someone worked when there's no automated time tracking.
Common mistakes
- Counting paid breaks as unpaid. Breaks under 20 minutes are typically paid under federal FLSA. Don't deduct them. Meal periods of 30+ minutes are unpaid if you're fully off duty.
- Forgetting overnight shift handling. Manually subtracting 22:00 from 06:00 gives -16 hours unless you account for the date change. The calculator handles this automatically; manual math often doesn't.
- Confusing paid hours with overtime hours. 50 hours worked in a week is 40 regular + 10 overtime. Hourly OT is paid at 1.5× regular rate. Salaried-exempt workers get no overtime.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate work hours from clock-in to clock-out?
Subtract clock-in time from clock-out time, then subtract any unpaid breaks. The calculator above does this automatically and handles overnight shifts (where clock-out is on the next day).
Are paid breaks counted in work hours?
Generally yes. Under U.S. federal FLSA, rest breaks under 20 minutes are paid working time. Meal periods of 30+ minutes are unpaid if the employee is fully off duty. State laws may impose additional requirements.
How do I handle an overnight shift?
Enter clock-in and clock-out times normally. The calculator detects when clock-out is earlier than clock-in and treats it as next day, giving the correct elapsed duration.