Begin with clock times and finish with a number
Enter start and end clock times for each working period. The calculator determines the duration, subtracts unpaid breaks inside it and presents the total primarily as decimal hours. You should not type an already calculated duration into the clock-out field: a value such as 7.5 is a number of hours, not an accepted clock time. Keep the underlying punches visible so that the final number can be traced to a record. Blank and incomplete periods remain excluded, with warnings when a time needs attention.
Convert the minutes portion by dividing by 60
A decimal hour is a fraction of sixty minutes. Seven hours fifteen minutes becomes 7.25, seven hours thirty minutes becomes 7.50, and seven hours forty-five minutes becomes 7.75. The digits after a decimal point do not represent minutes directly: 7.30 hours is seven hours eighteen minutes. This distinction matters whenever a payroll sheet multiplies a duration by an hourly rate. The small table gives common fractions to recognize quickly, but use the calculator for exact minute totals rather than repeatedly converting and rounding each entry by hand.
| Minutes | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 15 | 0.25 |
| 20 | 0.33 |
| 30 | 0.50 |
| 45 | 0.75 |
Understand why 20 minutes displays as 0.33
Twenty divided by sixty is a recurring decimal. The displayed two-place number is 0.33, but the calculation keeps the original 20 minutes internally. If three such periods total one hour, the authoritative total is 1.00 hour even though adding three displayed 0.33 values gives 0.99. The difference comes from displaying rounded decimals on separate rows, not from a lost minute. Retain the hours-and-minutes column when reconciling a spreadsheet and avoid treating every two-place row display as more precise than its source record.
Prepare the net duration before conversion
Decimal formatting should happen after the working time has been established. A continuous 09:00 to 17:00 period with 30 unpaid minutes contains 7.5 hours. If the same lunch is marked Paid, it contains eight. Multiple breaks let you separate paid rests from unpaid lunch, and separate working periods exclude their gaps automatically. Remove the first period’s default break when that lunch is already represented by a gap. Selecting a decimal output does not change break treatment; it changes how the resulting duration is emphasized on the screen.
Keep rounding and overtime separate from display precision
Displaying two decimal places is different from rounding a duration to a five-, ten- or fifteen-minute payroll interval. Leave duration rounding off for exact minutes, or deliberately choose an interval, direction and daily or overall calculation. Default overtime evaluates hours above 40 separately in each fixed workweek. Daily and combined alternatives are simplified estimates rather than a complete statement of state requirements. This tool performs arithmetic and does not determine legal entitlement, tax treatment or compliance. Confirm those rules independently before using the numbers in an official payroll process.
Export numeric cells and keep a checking column
Download CSV writes decimal hours as numeric values in the Hours (decimal) column, with a separate Hours (h:mm) column for checking. Use the decimal values for multiplication rather than trying to multiply text such as 7:45. For formulas, open the timesheet calculator Excel guide. Copy summary also transfers spreadsheet-friendly rows. When summing exported records, avoid including the existing Total or weekly subtotal rows a second time. The export remains under your control, and entries stay local to the browser until you intentionally download, copy or share them with someone else.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7:30 the same as 7.30 decimal hours?
No. Clock-style 7:30 means seven hours thirty minutes, which is 7.50 decimal hours. Decimal 7.30 means seven hours plus 0.30 of an hour, or eighteen minutes. Use the displayed decimal result for numeric payroll multiplication and keep the hours-and-minutes result when comparing with your original punches.
Why do three 0.33-hour rows total 1.00 hour?
A 20-minute period is one third of an hour, displayed to two decimal places as 0.33. Three original 20-minute periods contain exactly 60 minutes, so their authoritative total is 1.00 hour. Adding rounded row displays can produce 0.99; this is a display-precision difference, not a missing recorded minute.
Which CSV column should I multiply by my hourly rate?
Use Hours (decimal), which contains numeric durations such as 7.75. Hours (h:mm) is a separate checking format and may be interpreted as a time or text by spreadsheet software. Check break treatment and avoid adding the existing Total and subtotal rows again when summing the individual exported periods.
What happens if I have not clocked out yet?
An unfinished period is marked incomplete and excluded from the total until both times are valid. Leave the clock-out blank while you confirm the actual ending time. The calculator does not run an attendance timer or guess when you stopped working. Other completed periods continue to count normally.
Can I download the result for a spreadsheet?
Yes. Download CSV gives you individual periods, decimal hours, hours and minutes, and totals. The decimal-hours column contains numbers suitable for spreadsheet calculations. Copy summary produces tab-separated rows for pasting, while Print gives a readable report. Check your times and breaks before using any exported figures for payroll.
Do I need an account, and where are my entries saved?
You do not need an account. Calculations run in your browser, and entries are saved locally on this device rather than uploaded. A full-card sharing link contains the records in its fragment; anyone holding it can read them. Export your own backup before clearing browser storage or switching devices.