Work Hours Calculator (2024)

Understanding the Settings and Features

Many employers and local labor laws have different rules around recording and calculating hours. For this reason, this work hour calculator contains all the features necessary to create an accurate timesheet. Before you get started with entering your timesheet, make sure the settings are correct for your situation.

• Clock Format - Depending on where you live, you may record time using the 12-hour or 24-hour clock. Select the option that applies to you.
• Deduct Breaks - Some employers pay their workers during breaks such as lunchtime. If your breaks are paid, select No. If your breaks are unpaid, select Yes.
• Overtime - If your position is eligible for overtime pay, the calculator will distinguish between regular and overtime hours. The default is set to 40 hours as the threshold for when overtime starts. But you can change this depending on the labor laws in your area.

Hours Worked Calculator Use

Using an hours worked calculator can make creating time cards easy and reduce the chances of making errors. Follow the steps below to enter your time card.

• Step 1: If you haven’t completed this step already, take a moment to review the calculator settings. Depending on your selection, it may calculate your hours differently.
• Step 2: Enter the start and end times for each day of the week using the hhmm format. Note: Using the colon is optional. For example, if you started work at 8:15, you can enter the time as 0815. If you have selected the 12-hour clock, you will also see boxes to select AM or PM. Note: Non-work days should be left blank.
• Step 3: Enter your break times for each day (in minutes).
• Step 4: Click the Calculate button to see the results. The calculator will show the total number of regular and overtime hours worked, plus a detailed time card broken down by day.
• Step 5: Click the Print button to finalize your official time card. You can add your name and date in the field at the top before handing it over to your employer.

Example

Mike’s boss asks him to put together a time card each week showing the number of hours that Mike worked. He worked from 8 in the morning until 5 in the evening each day (Monday through Friday) with a 30-minute unpaid lunch break. He lives in the United States, which uses a 12-hour clock. Overtime starts after 40 hours in a week.

First, Mike needs to change the settings on the calculator to match his situation.

• Clock Format: 12 hr;
• Deduct Breaks: Yes;
• OT after 40 Hours a Week: Leave Default.

Next, Mike will enter 8 AM as the start time for Monday through Friday. End Time will be 5 PM on the same days. Mike will also need to enter 30 for each work day in the break field. Saturday and Sunday will be left blank because they are not working days.

The results will show that Mike worked 40 hours of regular time and 2.5 hours of overtime that week.

Improving the Accuracy of Time Cards

Many employees, especially those paid hourly, are required to track their time, calculate work hours, and turn in a timesheet each week. This helps the company keep track of payroll for their employees to ensure they are paid appropriately. Since timekeeping rules vary by company, country, or region, many errors can inadvertently happen.

Calculating time manually can be challenging, especially when there are special considerations such as overtime thresholds or rounding allowances. This work hours calculator can help employees accurately enter their time without worrying about complex calculations.

In addition to employee benefits, companies can also benefit from using a work hour calculator. First, this can ensure that employees are paid the right amount and help comply with local wage and hour laws. Payroll errors can also result in fines for the employer.

Key Benefits and Helpful Tips

Using our work hour calculator, you can reduce the stress having incorrect numbers. Here are some key benefits and helpful tips to make the most out of the tool.

Key Benefits:

• Paperless Timesheet - Keeping paper timesheets can create errors that can lead to payroll issues such as under or overpaying employees. Also, manual logs can be difficult to read depending on the person’s handwriting.
• Accurate Time Calculations - Calculating hours worked can be complicated, especially if you have particular rules you need to follow regarding overtime, breaks, and time rounding. The Work Hours Calculator handles all the complex calculations automatically, so you don’t have to figure out how to calculate hours worked.
• Consistent Time Cards - For employers, using this work time calculator can help ensure that all of the time cards turned into payroll are in a consistent format that is easy for employees to use and understand.

Helpful Tips:

• Talk to Human Resources - Before selecting the setting on the timesheet, check with your HR representative to ensure that you choose the correct time card settings.
• Save Settings - This calculator allows users to save their settings, so they don’t have to update them each time they use the tool. To do this, click the Save Settings button.
• Project Hours Tracking - Aside from the payroll uses, you can also use the calculator to track the number of hours spent working on a certain project. For example, a contractor may want to itemize the hours they spent working for their client.