How to Calculate Work Hours
Learn how to total your work hours and subtract unpaid breaks.
Start with your shift length
To calculate work hours, first find the total time between your start time and end time.
If your shift crosses midnight, treat the end time as happening on the next day.
Subtract unpaid breaks
Once you know the full shift length, subtract any unpaid break time.
For example, if you worked 8.5 hours and had a 30-minute unpaid lunch, your paid time would be 8.0 hours.
Double-check your total
If you work multiple days, repeat the same process for each shift and add the totals together.
This helps you confirm your weekly hours before looking at overtime or paycheck estimates.