Quick answer
Add the unpaid break minutes together, convert them to hours, and subtract that total from the shift length. Do not subtract paid breaks unless your timesheet requires it.
Formula: Worked hours = shift length minus (unpaid break 1 + unpaid break 2) divided by 60.
Example: A 10-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch and a 15-minute unpaid break has 9.25 paid hours.
Open Hours Worked CalculatorInputs to check first
Before calculating, write down the clock-in time, clock-out time, lunch length, break rules, overtime threshold, and weekly schedule.
This matters because many wrong answers come from using a default schedule when the real time card, payroll export, schedule, or manager-approved timesheet uses a different rule.
The useful answer is the specific one: name what counts, show the formula, then show a small example that can be checked.
Key checks
- Use the same unit throughout the calculation.
- Separate paid time from unpaid time.
- Keep gross pay, net pay, calendar days, and business days separate.
- Use the calculator only after the assumptions are clear.
Step-by-step method
Key checks
- Start with the plain rule: Worked hours = shift length minus (unpaid break 1 + unpaid break 2) divided by 60.
- Calculate the simple case first before adding exceptions.
- Adjust for unpaid breaks, overnight shifts, rounding rules, multiple shifts, and weekly overtime cutoffs only when those details apply.
- Compare the result with your time card, payroll export, schedule, or manager-approved timesheet before using it for a real timesheet, payroll estimate, schedule review, or copied work-hours result.
- Copy or save the final result after the inputs match the real situation.
Worked example
A 10-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch and a 15-minute unpaid break has 9.25 paid hours.
If your situation differs, change one input at a time. That makes it easier to see whether the hours, pay rate, date range, or policy rule caused the new answer.
That format is easier to reuse later: one result, one formula, and one note about the official rule that could change the number.
Comparison table
| Input | Value | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Main rule | Worked hours = shift length minus (unpaid break 1 + unpaid break 2) divided by 60. | Prevents guessing |
| Example | A 10-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch and a 15-minute unpaid break has 9.25 paid hours. | Shows the calculation in context |
| Calculator | Hours Worked Calculator | Checks the exact inputs |
| Official check | time card, payroll export, schedule, or manager-approved timesheet | Confirms policy-specific details |
What can change the answer
The answer can change when unpaid breaks, overnight shifts, rounding rules, multiple shifts, and weekly overtime cutoffs are part of the real situation.
A calculator can handle the arithmetic, but it cannot know every workplace rule unless you enter the correct assumptions.
If the result affects a timesheet, payroll estimate, schedule review, or copied work-hours result, treat the calculator as a planning estimate and compare it with the official source.
Common mistakes
Key checks
- Do not use a shortcut before confirming which hours, dates, or dollars count.
- Do not mix minutes and decimal hours without converting.
- Do not compare gross pay with take-home pay unless taxes and deductions are part of the same estimate.
- Do not assume weekends, holidays, PTO, or breaks are handled the same way everywhere.
- Do not treat a planning estimate as final payroll, HR, or legal advice.
Use the related calculator
Use Hours Worked Calculator when you want to test this question with real inputs instead of relying on mental math.
After calculating, copy the result only with the assumptions beside it: dates, hours, pay rate, break treatment, or policy detail.
Open Hours Worked Calculator