Work Hours Formula

Basic Formula

Net work hours = end time - start time - break time

This formula gives the paid or reportable work time for a single shift when breaks are unpaid. Start with the full duration between the start and end time, then deduct only the breaks that should not count as paid work. If a break is paid, leave it inside the total.

Decimal Hours Formula

Decimal hours = hours + (minutes ÷ 60)

Decimal hours are useful because payroll systems, invoices, and spreadsheets often multiply hours by an hourly rate. The minutes portion must be divided by 60 because an hour has 60 minutes. This keeps calculations consistent when adding several shifts together.

Example

7 hours and 30 minutes in decimal format is:

7 + (30 ÷ 60) = 7.5 hours

If the shift span is 8 hours and the unpaid break is 30 minutes, the net result is 7.5 hours. If the hourly rate is 20, gross pay for that shift is 7.5 x 20 = 150 before taxes, deductions, or other payroll adjustments.

Pay Formula

Gross pay = hours worked × hourly rate

For overtime, separate regular hours from overtime hours before calculating pay. Regular pay uses the standard hourly rate. Overtime pay uses the overtime hours, hourly rate, and overtime multiplier. The two amounts are then added together for an estimated gross total.

Weekly Formula

Weekly net hours = day 1 net hours + day 2 net hours + ... + day 7 net hours

Calculate each day first, including its own break deduction, then add the daily results. This helps prevent mistakes when one day has a longer lunch, a shorter shift, or an overnight schedule. Weekly totals are especially important when checking overtime thresholds or preparing a timesheet.

Common Weekly Hour Conversions

22.8 hours per week is 22 hours 48 minutes. Spread across 5 days, that is about 4 hours 34 minutes per day.

35 hours a week can be 5 shifts of 7 hours, 4 shifts of 8 hours 45 minutes, or any other schedule that adds to 35. For exact daily entries, use the timesheet calculator.

60 hours a week equals 12 hours per day over 5 days, 10 hours per day over 6 days, or about 8 hours 34 minutes per day over 7 days.

Formula Checks

• Use the same time format throughout the calculation.
• Subtract unpaid breaks before converting to decimal hours.
• Use 0.25 for 15 minutes, 0.5 for 30 minutes, and 0.75 for 45 minutes.
• Separate regular and overtime hours before multiplying by pay rates.

These formulas are designed for general planning and checking. Employment rules, rounding practices, paid-break rules, and overtime requirements can vary, so official payroll decisions should be confirmed with the relevant employer, payroll provider, contract, or labor authority.