Timesheet Calculator
How to calculate hours worked with a lunch break
Clock-in and clock-out times include the lunch window. If that lunch is unpaid, you have to take it off or you will overstate the day. The calculator below has an unpaid-break box on every row.
The formula
Hours worked = (clock-out − clock-in) − unpaid lunch minutes
Leave the break at 0 if the meal is paid, or if you already clocked out for lunch and back in (use two shift rows instead).
Worked examples
| Clock in | Clock out | Unpaid lunch | Hours worked | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 30 min | 7:30 | 7.50 |
| 9:00 a.m. | 5:30 p.m. | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 8:00 a.m. | 4:30 p.m. | 30 min | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| 9:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 60 min | 7:00 | 7.00 |
| 9:00 a.m. | 5:00 p.m. | 45 min | 7:15 | 7.25 |
| 7:00 a.m. | 3:30 p.m. | 0 min (paid or no meal) | 8:30 | 8.50 |
Split shifts and clocking out for lunch
If you clock out at noon and back in at 12:30 p.m., you already excluded the lunch. Enter two rows, for example 9:00–12:00 and 12:30–5:00, and leave the break at 0 on both. That is 3 hours + 4 hours 30 minutes = 7 hours 30 minutes, the same as 9:00–5:00 with a 30-minute unpaid break.
A full week with lunch
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., 30-minute unpaid lunch each day:
- Each day: 8 hours 30 minutes elapsed − 30 minutes = 8.00 hours
- Week total: 5 × 8.00 = 40.00 hours
- At $18 an hour, gross pay is 40 × $18 = $720.00, with no overtime under a 40-hour weekly cutoff
Change any day in the calculator, or add Saturday, to see overtime appear.
Related guides
How to calculate hours worked · Overtime pay · Timesheet template
Questions people ask
How do I calculate hours worked with a lunch break?
Work out the time from clock-in to clock-out, then subtract the unpaid break. 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with a 30-minute unpaid lunch is 8 hours 30 minutes minus 30 minutes, which is 8 hours.
Is a lunch break paid or unpaid?
Many workplaces treat a meal break as unpaid and shorter rest breaks as paid, but the rule is set by your employer and local law. If the lunch is unpaid, subtract it. If it is paid, leave it in the total.
What if I take a 45-minute or 60-minute lunch?
Subtract the actual unpaid minutes. A 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. shift with a 60-minute unpaid lunch is 7 hours worked. With a 45-minute lunch it is 7 hours 15 minutes, or 7.25 hours.