Hours worked calculator
Work out effective working time after breaks, night shifts included.
Calculator inputs
Results
Enter your values and press “Calculate” to see the result.
In short
- What it calculates
- Work out effective working time after breaks, night shifts included.
- Formula used
Minutes = (end − start) − break- Example
- In 09:00, out 18:30, 60-minute break
Hours worked calculator
Enter the clock-in and clock-out times to get the effective working time with the break already deducted.
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is assumed to cross midnight and is handled correctly.
How it works
Everything is converted to minutes, which avoids the classic mistakes of subtracting base-60 times. The break is then deducted and the result is returned as HH:MM.
The decimal hours are the figure you multiply by an hourly rate.
Formula
Minutes = (end − start) − break
If end < start: end + 24 h
Decimal hours = minutes ÷ 60
Amount = decimal hours × hourly rate
Worked example
In 09:00, out 18:30, 60-minute break
Gross: 9 h 30 min = 570 min
Minus the break: 510 min
Shift: 08:30 (8.5 hours)
Explanation
The break changes the result
A nine-hour shift with an unpaid hour for lunch is eight hours of actual work. If the break counts as working time, it is nine. Before adding up, check what your contract or collective agreement says: it is the variable that causes most payroll disputes.
Mandatory working time records
In Spain, since 2019 employers must record each worker's daily start and finish times and keep those records for four years. Equivalent rules apply across much of the European Union following a Court of Justice ruling. Keeping your own tally lets you check theirs.
Rounding clock-ins
Rounding each clock-in to the nearest quarter hour looks harmless, but repeated daily it produces noticeable differences over a month. If the rounding always goes the same way, it stops being neutral and may be challengeable.
Overtime and its cap
Most jurisdictions set an annual ceiling on overtime and require it to be compensated in money or in time off. Knowing how much you have accumulated is the first step to checking it is being paid.
Frequently asked questions
How is a night shift handled?
If the end time is earlier than the start time, 24 hours are added automatically. From 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours.
Why 8.5 hours and not 8.30?
Because half an hour is 0.5 in decimal. Confusing 8.30 with 8 h 30 min is the most common payroll mistake.
Does the lunch break count as working time?
It depends on the contract and the applicable agreement. If the break is unpaid it is deducted from the shift; if it counts as working time, it is added.
Can my employer round my clock-ins?
The record must reflect actual hours. Systematic rounding always against the worker is not neutral and can be challenged.
Need to calculate something else?
These tools are often used alongside this calculator.
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