How to Calculate Work Hours, Breaks, and Overtime Pay

The Importance of Accurate Timesheet Tracking

Whether you are an hourly employee double-checking your biweekly paycheck or a freelancer billing clients, knowing how to convert clock-in and clock-out times into total payable hours is vital.

How to Calculate Total Work Hours

1. Convert Times to 24-Hour Format: For example, 8:30 AM is 08:30, and 5:15 PM is 17:15.
2. Subtract Clock-In from Clock-Out: 17:15 - 08:30 = 8 hours and 45 minutes.
3. Deduct Unpaid Breaks: If you took a 45-minute unpaid lunch break, subtract it: 8 hours 45 mins - 45 mins = 8.0 total hours.
4. Convert Minutes to Decimal Hours: Divide remaining minutes by 60 (e.g., 30 minutes = 0.5 hours; 15 minutes = 0.25 hours).

Calculating Overtime Pay (Time and a Half)

Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), non-exempt employees working over 40 hours in a workweek must receive overtime pay at 1.5 times their regular hourly rate.

If your base pay is $20/hour, your overtime rate is $20 × 1.5 = $30/hour.

Quickly calculate daily shift hours, overtime premiums, and estimated gross earnings with our Hours Calculator.