A timesheet turns the punches you make during the week into a number your payroll department can pay. This calculator follows the most common layout used on paper and in time clock software: time in, lunch out, lunch in, time out for each day. It subtracts the unpaid lunch, adds up the week, separates overtime and multiplies by your rate — then prints or exports the result.
How to use the timesheet calculator
- Optionally pick the week starting date; each row then shows its date and weekday.
- Enter your hourly rate, the overtime pay multiplier and the overtime rule that applies to you.
- Choose a rounding interval only if your employer rounds punches.
- Fill in the four punches for each day you worked. Days without a lunch break need only time in and time out.
- Check each day’s hours on the right, then use Print or Copy as CSV when the week is complete.
The timesheet formula
The weekly total is the sum of the days. With the federal rule, anything over 40 hours is overtime:
Hours are shown both as h:mm (8:30) and decimal hours (8.50). Payroll multiplies your rate by the decimal number, so the decimal column is the one to copy into a pay calculation.
Worked example
A week at $18 an hour with a 30- or 45-minute lunch most days:
| Day | In | Lunch out | Lunch in | Out | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:45 PM | 5:15 PM | 8.50 |
| Tue | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 8.50 |
| Wed | 7:45 AM | 11:45 AM | 12:15 PM | 4:30 PM | 8.25 |
| Thu | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | 6:00 PM | 9.50 |
| Fri | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | 4:00 PM | 7.50 |
| Sat | 9:00 AM | — | — | 1:00 PM | 4.00 |
| Total | 46.25 |
- Regular: 40 × $18 = $720.00
- Overtime: 6.25 × $27 (time and a half) = $168.75
- Gross pay: $888.75
Wednesday is a good check of the decimal math: 7:45 AM to 4:30 PM is 8 hours 45 minutes, minus 30 minutes of lunch leaves 8 hours 15 minutes, which is 8.25 hours — not 8.15.
Common timesheet mistakes
Reading minutes as decimals
7:45 is 7.75 hours, not 7.45. Each minute is 1/60 of an hour, so 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 is 0.50 and 45 is 0.75. The minutes to decimal hours converter has a full 1–60 chart.
Mixing AM and PM
A shift typed as 8:00 to 4:30 in 24-hour thinking means 8:00 AM to 4:30 AM — a 20.5-hour night. The time inputs here make AM/PM explicit; on paper, write 16:30 or 4:30 PM.
Punching out for short breaks
Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, rest breaks of roughly 5 to 20 minutes are paid time. Only record bona fide meal periods, typically 30 minutes or more with no work duties, in the lunch columns.
Leaving punches for Friday
Recording times from memory at the end of the week is the most common source of payroll disputes. Enter punches daily; your entries stay saved in this browser between visits.
Keeping records
Employers must keep accurate records of hours worked each day and week (29 CFR Part 516), but keeping your own copy is smart. Print the week, or export it as CSV and keep a running file. For a blank form to fill in by hand, use the printable timesheet; for two-week pay periods, use the bi-weekly time card.
Gross pay shown is before taxes and deductions. State overtime and meal-break laws can be stricter than the federal rules.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours on a timesheet with a lunch break?
Subtract the clock-in time from the clock-out time, then subtract the length of lunch (lunch in minus lunch out). For 8:00 AM to 5:15 PM with lunch from 12:00 to 12:45, that is 9:15 minus 0:45, or 8 hours 30 minutes.
What is the difference between a timesheet and a time card?
The terms are used interchangeably. A time card traditionally records punches from a time clock, while a timesheet is any record of hours by day. This page records four punches per day; the time card calculator uses a single break-minutes box instead.
What happens if I forget to enter lunch in?
The day shows 'Enter both lunch times' and is left out of the total until you fix it, so a missing punch never silently inflates your hours. Leave both lunch boxes blank on days without a meal break.
How do I write 8 hours 30 minutes on a timesheet in decimals?
Divide the minutes by 60: 30 ÷ 60 = 0.5, so 8 hours 30 minutes is 8.50 hours. Every day on this timesheet is shown in both hours:minutes and decimal hours.
Does the timesheet handle night shifts?
Yes. When time out is earlier than time in, the shift is treated as ending the next day, and a lunch taken after midnight is placed inside that shift.