Time card calculator with lunch break
Enter your unpaid lunch, then your start and end time, to get the paid hours for the day. For example, 8:00 to 5:00 minus a 30-minute lunch is 8.5 hours.
Hours worked minus lunch break
How the lunch deduction works
Most time cards show the time you clock in, the time you clock out and an unpaid meal break. Your paid hours are the time between the two punches minus that break. This calculator asks for the break first, because it is usually the same every day, then for the start and end of the shift.
Worked examples
| Shift | On the clock | Unpaid break | Paid hours | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM–5:00 PM | 9 h 0 min | 30 min | 8 h 30 min | 8.50 |
| 7:00 AM–3:30 PM | 8 h 30 min | 30 min | 8 h 0 min | 8.00 |
| 9:00 AM–6:00 PM | 9 h 0 min | 60 min | 8 h 0 min | 8.00 |
| 6:00 AM–4:30 PM, lunch 30 + break 15 | 10 h 30 min | 45 min | 9 h 45 min | 9.75 |
In the first example: 5:00 PM is 17:00, so 17:00 − 8:00 = 9 hours. Subtract 30 minutes to get 8 hours 30 minutes. Thirty minutes is half an hour, so the decimal is 8.5.
The formula
Paid hours = (end − start) − (lunch + other unpaid breaks)
Decimal hours = hours + minutes ÷ 60
Paid or unpaid? What US federal rules say
The US Department of Labor says federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. When an employer does offer short breaks, usually 5 to 20 minutes, they are paid and count toward hours worked, including for overtime. A bona fide meal period, typically 30 minutes or more, is not work time, as long as you are completely relieved from duty. Eating at your desk while you keep working is work time. Many states have their own meal and rest break rules, so check yours. Sources: DOL: Breaks and meal periods and DOL Fact Sheet #22.
Edge cases
- Overnight: a shift from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM with a 30-minute lunch is 8 h 30 min.
- A break longer than the shift is flagged as an error.
- No lunch: enter 0. The result is simply the time on the clock.
- Rounding: this page does not round. The time card calculator can round each punch to 5, 6 or 15 minutes if your employer does.
For a whole week with lunch on every day, use the weekly time card calculator. For several separate shifts in one day, use the hours calculator. To check what your break means for overtime, see FLSA overtime rules.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked with a lunch break?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then subtract the unpaid lunch. 8:00 to 5:00 is 9 hours; minus a 30-minute lunch that is 8 hours 30 minutes, or 8.5 hours.
Should I subtract a 15-minute break?
Usually not. Under US federal rules, short breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are paid and count as hours worked. Only subtract breaks your employer does not pay for.
Is a lunch break required by law?
US federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. Some states do, and many employers have their own policy. Check your state labor office or your employer handbook.
When is a lunch break unpaid?
Under federal rules a bona fide meal period, usually 30 minutes or more, is not work time if you are completely relieved from duty. If you have to keep working, for example answering phones at your desk, it counts as work time.
Can I enter two unpaid breaks?
Yes. Enter the lunch in the first box and any other unpaid break in the second. Both are subtracted from the shift.
What if I work through lunch?
Then enter 0 for the lunch break. If you were not relieved of duty, that time is generally work time under federal rules.
How do I save the result?
Pick a date and press “Add to my timesheet”. The shift and break are copied into your saved time card in this browser, where you can see the week, month and year.
Updated · Written by the HoursLog team