Method / transparent arithmetic
How the calculator counts work hours
The tool keeps the arithmetic visible. Enter a start, an end and only the minutes of an unpaid break for each day. It calculates each row separately, then adds the valid rows to a one-week, two-week or custom-period total. You can leave days off blank.
Step 1: count elapsed minutes
On a same-day shift, elapsed minutes equal end time minus start time. From 09:00 to 17:30 is 510 minutes, or 8 hours 30 minutes. If the end time is before the start, the tool adds one day and labels the shift “next day.” Thus 22:00 to 06:30 is also 510 minutes. Identical start and end times are flagged as ambiguous; clear the row for a day off.
Step 2: subtract only the unpaid break
A 30-minute unpaid meal turns either 510-minute example into 480 minutes, displayed as 8:00. A break equal to or longer than the shift is an error; that row is excluded until corrected. Paid rest breaks belong in worked time, so do not enter them in the unpaid break box.
Step 3: add minutes before converting
All valid daily minutes are summed first. The hours-and-minutes total is the exact sum. Decimal hours divide that sum by 60 and display two decimal places. For example, 7:45 is 7.75 decimal hours; 7:20 is 7.33 when displayed to two decimal places. The default uses exact punches. Optional 5-, 6- or 15-minute punch rounding changes punches before elapsed time is calculated.
Step 4: separate regular and overtime
The default threshold is 40 hours for each week. A 43:30 week splits into 40:00 regular and 3:30 overtime. If you enter a $20 hourly rate, the simple estimate is $800 regular plus $105 overtime, or $905 gross before deductions. In two-week view, each week is split separately before totals and pay are added. See the two-week pay example. The estimate assumes 1.5× for hours above your threshold. It does not model bonuses, differentials, exemptions or every jurisdiction’s rules. Optional daily overtime is a simplified 8/12-hour example, not an automatic state-law determination.