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Work Hours Calculator

Time card calculator

This time card calculator takes each day's punches: clock in, lunch out, lunch in and clock out. Get daily hours, weekly overtime and pay for one week or a two-week pay period. Then print a time card ready to sign.

Length

Copy a typical day to every weekday

No lunch? Leave the two lunch boxes empty. Totals also update as you type.

Employee signature ______________________   Date __________

Supervisor signature ____________________   Date __________

How a time card with lunch is calculated

A day's hours on a four-punch time card are (lunch out − clock in) + (clock out − lunch in). The lunch between the two middle punches is unpaid, so it is left out. Add the days for each workweek, and anything over 40 hours in that week is overtime under federal law.

For example, clocking in at 7:45 AM, out for lunch at 12:00 PM, back at 12:40 PM and out at 4:30 PM gives 4:15 before lunch and 3:50 after, so 8:05 for the day. In decimal hours that is 8.08.

Two-week time cards and overtime

Many employers pay every two weeks, but overtime still belongs to each workweek on its own. Here is the same 80 hours split two ways, worked out by this calculator:

Pay periodWeek 1Week 2Overtime
Even weeks40:0040:000:00
Uneven weeks45:0035:005:00

The Department of Labor is explicit: "Averaging of hours over two or more weeks is not permitted." So in the uneven pay period above, 5 hours of week one are paid at time and a half, even though the total is 80.

For the method behind these totals, with night shifts and decimal conversion worked through, see how to calculate hours worked.

Is lunch paid or unpaid?

Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, a real meal period, typically 30 minutes or more, does not have to be paid if you are fully relieved of duty. If you eat at your desk while answering the phone, that time generally counts as work. Short rest breaks, usually 20 minutes or less, are paid and count toward overtime. So don't punch out for them.

Some states require meal or rest breaks, and some employers pay for lunch anyway. If your lunch is paid, enter only your clock in and clock out.

Tips for an accurate time card

Only need one week without lunch punches? The work hours calculator uses start, end and break minutes instead, and handles split shifts.

Common questions

What if I did not take a lunch break?

Fill in only "Clock in" and "Clock out" and leave the two lunch boxes empty. The calculator then counts the whole time between your first and last punch.

Why does a two-week time card show overtime even though I worked 80 hours?

Overtime is worked out one workweek at a time. If you worked 45 hours in week one and 35 in week two, the extra 5 hours in week one are overtime, even though the two weeks add up to 80. Federal law does not allow averaging hours across weeks.

My lunch punch is earlier than my clock-in. What happened?

Usually an AM/PM mix-up, such as a lunch out of 12:00 AM instead of 12:00 PM. The calculator warns you when the punches would add up to more than 24 hours. Check each punch shows the right half of the day.

Which day should the pay period start on?

Use the first day of your employer's workweek, often a Sunday. The calculator labels every row with its date and starts week two seven days later, so overtime is split at the right place.

How do I print a blank time card?

Press "Clear card", type a name and start date if you want them, then press Print. You get a one-page card with every day, its date, and lines for the employee and supervisor to sign.

Sources

Last checked . General information, not legal or payroll advice. Your employer's policy, contract or state law may differ.

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