How to use timecard hours
- Enter each shift’s calendar date, start and end time.
- Enter only the break time you have confirmed is unpaid.
- Choose the workweek boundary and inspect each shift and weekly total.
- Review overlap or invalid-time errors before exporting CSV or printing.
Calculate time in minutes before converting to hours
Subtract times using minutes rather than treating clock notation as a decimal. From 9:00 to 17:30 is 510 minutes. Subtract a 30-minute unpaid break and the result is 480 minutes, or 8.00 hours. A 7-hour, 15-minute shift is 7.25 decimal hours, not 7.15.
The calculator keeps minute totals and sums them before displaying decimal hours. It does not round every punch to a five-, six- or fifteen-minute interval. Overlapping rows and breaks longer than a shift must be corrected before a total can be exported.
| Clock duration | Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 15 | 0.25 |
| 30 minutes | 30 | 0.50 |
| 7 hours 15 minutes | 435 | 7.25 |
| 8 hours | 480 | 8.00 |
Review overnight shifts and the workweek boundary
For an overnight shift, select next-day clock-out explicitly. An earlier clock time by itself is not enough to choose the date. The date tells the calculator which days are involved. Keep the workweek start consistent with the payroll record; weekly totals are grouped around that selected boundary.
These calculations use entered wall-clock times. They do not apply a timezone or daylight-saving transition correction. If a shift crosses a clock change, reconcile the recorded elapsed hours before using the total.
Enter confirmed unpaid breaks
Do not deduct a break automatically just because a shift lasts a certain length. Use the unpaid break documented for that shift. Short rest breaks and meal periods have different treatment; duties performed during a meal can affect whether it is unpaid.
The tool checks the supplied duration and workweek grouping. It does not decide whether an activity is compensable or whether an employee is exempt. Use the linked Department of Labor guidance and your applicable payroll policy when deciding which time belongs in the record.
Common questions
How do I enter an overnight shift?
Enter the date the shift starts and its start and end times, then choose next-day clock-out. Review the resulting duration; equal clock times require explicit confirmation of a full 24-hour shift.
Is 7 hours 30 minutes the same as 7.30 hours?
No. Thirty minutes is half an hour, so 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.50 decimal hours.
Does this timecard round clock punches or remove breaks automatically?
No. It uses the entered minute values and the explicitly supplied unpaid break. It applies no punch-rounding or inferred-break policy.
Sources and method
Reviewed . The workings are shown above; source links provide context for payroll records or supported PDF behavior. Confirm the policies that apply to your records.