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Hours Calculator: Weekly Timesheet
Enter the start time, end time and unpaid break for each day you worked. The calculator handles overnight shifts, adds up the week, and shows the total in hours and minutes, in decimal hours, and as pay if you add an hourly rate.
How the hours are worked out
For each day the calculator converts the start and end clock times into minutes after midnight, subtracts the start from the end, then removes the unpaid break. The paid minutes for every day are added together and shown three ways: as hours and minutes, as decimal hours, and as an average per day worked.
Paid minutes = (end − start) − break
When the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as running past midnight, so 22:00 to 06:00 counts as eight hours, not as a negative number. A shift that would last exactly 24 hours is rejected because identical start and end times are far more often a typing slip than a real full-day shift.
Times can be typed in 24-hour form such as 17:30 or in 12-hour form such as 5:30 pm. Leave both fields of a day empty to mark a day off.
Hours and minutes versus decimal hours
Payroll systems and spreadsheets usually want decimal hours, because pay is hours multiplied by a rate. Minutes are converted by dividing by 60. Seven hours and 45 minutes is 7.75 hours, not 7.45, and 8 hours 20 minutes is 8.33 hours, not 8.20. Typing 7.45 into a pay formula quietly underpays the employee, which is the single most common timesheet error.
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 10 | 0.17 |
| 15 | 0.25 |
| 20 | 0.33 |
| 30 | 0.50 |
| 45 | 0.75 |
The decimal figure on this page is rounded to two places for display, but the pay line uses the exact value of the minutes worked.
Rules this tool does not apply
The result is plain arithmetic on the times you enter. Real payroll often layers rules on top, and those rules differ between countries, states, industries and contracts:
- Overtime premiums. Many workplaces pay a higher rate beyond a daily or weekly threshold. Here every hour is paid at one rate, so work out the overtime split separately.
- Rounding policies. Some employers round clock-in times to the nearest 5, 6 or 15 minutes. Enter the rounded times if that is your rule.
- Paid versus unpaid breaks. Only enter the unpaid part of a break. A paid tea break stays inside the shift.
- Night, weekend or holiday premiums. These are not modelled.
Pay shown is gross, before any tax or deductions.
Checking a timesheet before you submit it
A quick sanity routine catches most mistakes. First confirm that each end time is later than its start time unless the shift really crosses midnight; the table marks those rows with next day so you can see what the tool assumed. Second, compare the average hours per day worked with what you expect from your contract. If a normal eight-hour day shows as 8:30, the break was probably left blank. Third, compare the weekly total with any statutory or contractual limit that applies where you work, since limits vary by place and are not hard-coded here.
Freelancers can use the same table to build an invoice: copy the decimal total and multiply it by the agreed rate, or enter the rate above to see the product directly.
Worked example
A part-time week: eight-hour shifts from Monday to Thursday with a 30-minute unpaid break, and a short Friday from 09:00 to 13:00 with no break, paid at 18.50 an hour.
Inputs
| Friday end | 13:00 |
|---|---|
| Friday unpaid break | 0 min |
| Hourly rate (optional) | 18.5 |
Result
36.00 decimal hours over 5 days.
| Total (hours:minutes) | 36:00 |
|---|---|
| Total (decimal hours) | 36.00 |
| Days worked | 5 |
| Average per day worked | 7.20 h |
| Gross pay at 18.50 per hour | 666.00 |
Daily breakdown
| Day | Start | End | Break | Paid time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9:00 | 17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 (8.00 h) |
| Tuesday | 9:00 | 17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 (8.00 h) |
| Wednesday | 9:00 | 17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 (8.00 h) |
| Thursday | 9:00 | 17:30 | 30 min | 8:00 (8.00 h) |
| Friday | 9:00 | 13:00 | 0 min | 4:00 (4.00 h) |
| Saturday | - | - | - | Day off |
| Sunday | - | - | - | Day off |
Accuracy note: Results are calculated in your browser from the values you enter. Check anything that matters for legal, academic or financial purposes against the official source.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked between two times?
Subtract the start time from the end time, add 24 hours if the end falls on the next day, then remove any unpaid break. This calculator does it for every day of the week and sums the results.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add them to the whole hours. For example, 7 hours 45 minutes is 7 plus 45 divided by 60, which equals 7.75 decimal hours.
Does the calculator handle night shifts that cross midnight?
Yes. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as continuing into the next day, and the table marks that row so you can confirm the assumption.
Should I enter paid breaks?
No. Enter only unpaid break time, such as a meal period you are not paid for. A paid break is part of your working time and should not be subtracted from the shift.
Why is my pay different from my payslip?
The pay line is gross hours multiplied by one rate. Payslips may include overtime premiums, rounding rules, allowances, tax and other deductions that this simple timesheet tool does not model.