How do I calculate hours worked?

Subtract the start time from the end time to get the elapsed span, then subtract any unpaid break. This calculator does both steps and totals every shift you enter.

How are overnight shifts handled?

If the end time is not later than the start time, the calculator treats the shift as crossing midnight and adds 24 hours. A 22:00 to 06:00 shift is counted as 8 hours.

What are decimal hours?

Decimal hours express minutes as a fraction of an hour, which is what most payroll systems expect. 7 hours 45 minutes becomes 7.75 decimal hours, not 7.45.

Does the break come off the total?

Yes. Enter the unpaid break in minutes for each shift and it is subtracted from that shift before the day or week total is added up.

Is anything I type stored?

No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server or saved between visits.

Work Hours Calculator — Calculate Hours Worked

Enter a start time, end time and unpaid break for each shift. The calculator handles overnight shifts, totals multiple periods into a day or week, and shows both hours:minutes and decimal hours. Everything updates instantly and runs in your browser.

Total worked

0h 0m

Decimal hours

0.00

Shifts counted

How to calculate hours worked

The basic method is to subtract the start time from the end time, giving you the elapsed span of the shift, and then subtract any unpaid break. A shift from 09:00 to 17:00 with a 30-minute unpaid lunch is 8 hours elapsed minus 30 minutes, so 7 hours 30 minutes of worked time. This calculator performs both steps for every row and adds the results together.

Subtracting unpaid breaks

Only unpaid time should come off the total. Enter the break in minutes per shift and it is deducted from that shift before the day or week total is summed. If a break is longer than the shift itself, the shift is counted as zero rather than going negative.

Overnight shifts

When a shift crosses midnight the end time is earlier than the start time on the clock. The calculator detects this and adds 24 hours, so 22:00 to 06:00 is counted as an 8-hour shift rather than a negative number. Each row is labelled overnight when this happens.

Decimal hours

Payroll and timesheet systems usually want decimal hours, where minutes are expressed as a fraction of an hour. To convert manually, divide the minutes by 60 and add the result to the hours: 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 + 45/60 = 7.75 decimal hours. This calculator shows both formats side by side.

Worked examples

Day shift with lunch 09:00 to 17:00 with a 30-minute unpaid break = 7h 30m (7.50 decimal hours).
Overnight shift 22:00 to 06:00 with no break = 8h 0m (8.00 decimal hours).
Split day, two periods 08:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, no breaks = 4h 0m + 4h 0m = 8h 0m (8.00 decimal hours).
Short evening shift 17:30 to 21:15 with a 15-minute break = 3h 45m − 15m = 3h 30m (3.50 decimal hours).

FAQs

How do I calculate hours worked?: Subtract the start time from the end time to get the elapsed span, then subtract any unpaid break. This calculator does both steps and totals every shift you enter.
How are overnight shifts handled?: If the end time is not later than the start time, the calculator treats the shift as crossing midnight and adds 24 hours. A 22:00 to 06:00 shift is counted as 8 hours.
What are decimal hours?: Decimal hours express minutes as a fraction of an hour, which is what most payroll systems expect. 7 hours 45 minutes becomes 7.75 decimal hours, not 7.45.
Does the break come off the total?: Yes. Enter the unpaid break in minutes for each shift and it is subtracted from that shift before the day or week total is added up.
Is anything I type stored?: No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server or saved between visits.