Time Card Calculator & Payroll Guide
Master your payroll with our comprehensive guide to calculating work hours, overtime, and break laws.
How to Use a Time Card Calculator
A Time Card Calculator is an essential tool for businesses and freelancers to track work hours accurately. To use this tool, simply enter your Clock In and Clock Out times for each day. The calculator automatically handles the math, including crossing midnight (night shifts) and subtracting unpaid breaks.
This specific tool goes beyond basic calculators by allowing you to add multiple breaks per day. Whether it's a 15-minute morning coffee or a 1-hour lunch, you can log the exact start and end times for each pause. The tool then calculates your Net Hours (Total Shift Time minus Break Time) instantly.
Break Laws and Deductions
Not all breaks are treated equally under the law. Generally, short breaks (lasting 5 to 20 minutes) must be paid and counted as hours worked. However, meal periods (typically 30 minutes or more) are usually unpaid, provided the employee is completely relieved of duty.
Using the "Manage Breaks" feature in this tool allows you to precisely track these unpaid intervals. By logging the specific start and end time of your lunch, you ensure that your paycheck reflects only the time you were actually working, preventing discrepancies with your employer's payroll system.
