Hours worked calculator
Start, finish, break. You get the payable time in hours and minutes and in decimal hours, because payroll wants 7.75 rather than 7 h 45. Night shifts that cross midnight are handled.
- In decimal hours
- 7.75
- Before the break
- 8 h 30
- In minutes
- 465
- Break deducted
- 0 h 45
- Crosses midnight
- No
The formula
Minutes worked = finish − start − break, with 24 hours added to the finish when it is earlier than the start. Decimal hours are minutes ÷ 60, which is the form payroll systems expect.
Worked example
09:00 to 17:30 with a 45-minute break is 7 h 45, or 7.75 decimal hours. At 120 an hour that is 930 for the shift.
How to use it
- 1Enter times in 24-hour form, as 09:00 and 17:30.
- 2A finish time earlier than the start is read as a night shift, not an error.
- 3Leave the rate at zero if you only want the hours.
Questions people ask
Why decimal hours rather than hours and minutes?
Because payroll multiplies by an hourly rate, and 7 h 45 cannot be multiplied directly. 7.75 can. Mixing the two is a common source of underpayment.
Should the break be deducted?
That depends on your contract and local law. In many jurisdictions a rest break is unpaid but a short break is paid. Set the break to zero if yours is paid.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-20