Timesheet arithmetic
Hours worked is the end time minus the start time, minus any unpaid break. 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes, and with a 30 minute break it is 8 hours. Written as decimal hours, that is 8.5 before the break and 8 after it.
For a whole week, work out each day, then total them with Add up durations: one line per day, like 8h or 7h 45m. The total shows hours and minutes and as decimal hours, which is what most timesheet and invoice forms ask for.
Overnight and long shifts
If the end time is earlier than the start, the calculator treats the end as the next day: 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is 8 hours. If both times are the same, it gives 0, since it cannot tell a zero minute shift from a 24 hour one. To record a full 24 hours, set Extra whole days to 1. A shift of 30 hours, such as 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM the next day, is entered with 1 extra day: 6 hours plus 24.
Typing AM and PM correctly
A common mistake with times is a missing AM or PM. A bare 5:30 is read as 05:30, which is 5:30 AM, because without a suffix the 24 hour clock is used. Type 5:30 pm or 17:30 for the afternoon. The Read as line under each box shows exactly what was understood, so check it before trusting the answer.
Decimal hours, minutes and rounding
7:30 means 7 hours and 30 minutes, which is 7.5 as a decimal. A figure written 7.30 would mean 7 hours 18 minutes, since 0.30 of an hour is 18 minutes. Divide minutes by 60 to convert: 15 minutes is 0.25 and 20 minutes is 0.33.
Some employers round clock times to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes, and overtime and break rules differ by employer and place. This page does not round or apply any rule except what you enter, so enter the times as your employer records them. To count days rather than hours, see the date difference calculator.