Work Hours Calculator
Calculate hours worked in a shift after unpaid breaks. Enter start and end times to see worked hours and minutes, plus decimal hours for a timesheet.
Your worked time and decimal hours will appear here.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the start and end times of one shift.
- Enter total unpaid breaks in minutes, or 0 for no breaks, then select Calculate work hours.
How it works
Working time = end time minus start time minus unpaid breaks. An end time earlier than the start is treated as the following day. Equal times mean zero elapsed hours, not a 24-hour shift. Breaks must be whole minutes and cannot exceed the elapsed shift. This calculator uses clock times, without dates or daylight-saving adjustments.
Example
Standard work day: 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break.
8 hours 30 minutes elapsed minus 30 minutes = 8 hours worked (8.00 decimal hours). Overnight: 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM with no break = 8 hours worked. Decimal hours: 7 hours 30 minutes = 7.50 hours, not 7.30.
Common questions
How do I calculate hours worked?
Find the duration from start to end, then subtract unpaid breaks. For example, 09:00 to 17:00 minus 60 minutes gives 7 hours worked.
How do I subtract lunch breaks?
Add up unpaid lunch and other unpaid breaks and enter their total minutes. Leave paid breaks included in worked time. Enter 0 if there is nothing to deduct.
How are overnight shifts calculated?
If the end time is earlier, it is interpreted as the following day. For example, 22:00 to 06:00 is 8 hours before breaks. Each calculation covers one shift shorter than 24 hours.
What are decimal work hours?
Divide worked minutes by 60. For 7 hours 30 minutes, 7 + 30 / 60 = 7.5 hours. Decimal results are displayed to two places; the hours-and-minutes result retains the exact minute count. No payroll rounding rule is applied.