Tools
Working Hours Calculator
This working hours calculator adds up your day or week in one place: enter start and finish times, subtract breaks and see net hours in hours and minutes and in decimals. It checks legal rest breaks, daily limits and rest periods for the UK, the EU, Germany, Austria and Türkiye, and turns overtime into pay from your monthly salary. Free, no sign-up.
Breaks: 30 · 30+15 · 12:00-12:30. If the finish is earlier than the start, it counts as a night shift ending the next day.
By law: 50% overtime, 25% extra hours
Enter a start and finish time; the result updates instantly.
| Day | Start | Finish | Break | Net | Decimal | Status |
|---|
Estimate only; not legally binding. Collective agreements and your contract may set different rules.
How to use the Working Hours Calculator
- 1Pick your rule set and mode
Choose the country whose law applies to you. Then use Single day for one shift, or Week to total seven days and work out overtime.
- 2Enter start and finish times
Type the time you started and finished. A finish before the start counts as a night shift, so the shift simply ends the next day.
- 3Add your breaks
Write minutes (30), several breaks (30+15) or clock times (12:30-13:00). If you leave it empty, the tool applies the legal minimum.
- 4Add contract hours and salary
Enter your weekly contract hours and monthly gross pay. Also add the overtime premium from your contract to turn extra hours into money.
- 5Check the flags and save the week
The legal check lists each problem with its regulation number. Finally, download the week as CSV or print it for your records.
How the working hours calculator works
The tool keeps every value in whole minutes. It converts to hours only at the end, so rounding never builds up over a week.
Finish − start − unpaid breaks. A night shift ends on the next day (+24 hours).Net minutes ÷ 60, shown to two decimals (7 h 45 min = 7.75).Sum of the net time of all seven days.Weekly total − contracted weekly hours (0 if negative).Monthly gross salary ÷ (weekly hours × 52 ÷ 12).Overtime hours × hourly rate × (1 + premium ÷ 100).Austria and Türkiye set overtime premiums by law, so the tool applies them for you. For the UK, Germany and the EU general set, however, the premium comes from your contract.
Worked examples
Each row is an example you can enter with the United Kingdom rule set; the calculator returns exactly these figures.
| Scenario | Times and break | Net hours | Decimal | What the calculator flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office day | 9:00 to 17:30, lunch 12:30 to 13:00 | 8:00 | 8.00 | Within limits; the 20 minute break rule is met |
| Short lunch | 8:00 to 16:30, 15 min break | 8:15 | 8.25 | Breach: one uninterrupted 20 minute break is needed over 6 hours |
| Split breaks | 8:00 to 18:00, 10+10+10 min | 9:30 | 9.50 | Breach: no single break reaches 20 minutes |
| Night shift | 22:00 to 6:00, 45 min break | 7:15 | 7.25 | Counted into the next day |
| Week with overtime | Mon to Fri 8:30 to 18:00, 30 min break; £2,600 a month, 40 h contract, 50% premium | 45:00 | 45.00 | 5:00 overtime worth £112.50 |
In the last row the hourly rate is £2,600 ÷ (40 × 52 ÷ 12) = £15.00. So 5 hours at time and a half come to £112.50 gross.
Key limits by rule set
The five rule sets in the calculator side by side:
| Rule set | Rest break | Daily limit | Rest between days | Weekly hours | Overtime premium |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (WTR 1998) | 20 min in one piece over 6 h | None for adults, 8 h for young workers | 11 h | 48 h average over 17 weeks, opt out possible | None by law |
| EU general (2003/88/EC) | Break over 6 h, length set nationally | Not set by the directive | 11 h | 48 h average, reference period up to 4 months | National law |
| Germany (ArbZG) | 30 min over 6 h, 45 min over 9 h | 8 h, up to 10 h if averaged | 11 h | 48 h average | None by law |
| Austria (AZG) | 30 min over 6 h | 12 h | 11 h | 60 h, 48 h average over 17 weeks | 50%, part time 25% |
| Türkiye (Act 4857) | 15 min, 30 min or 1 h by length of work | 11 h | 12 h in 24 h | 45 h, overtime capped at 270 h a year | 50%, extra hours 25% |
Collective agreements and contracts can improve on these limits. Laws change; check the current text for anything that matters.
What does a working hours calculator do?
A working hours calculator turns clock times into the hours you actually worked. You enter your start and finish times. The tool then subtracts unpaid breaks and shows the result in hours and minutes and in decimals. Add up the week, and you have the figure for your timesheet, invoice or overtime claim.
The arithmetic looks simple. However, three things go wrong again and again.
- Breaks. Counting an unpaid lunch as work adds half an hour or more to every day.
- Minutes. Writing 7 hours 45 minutes as 7.45 instead of 7.75 loses 18 minutes each time.
- Night shifts. A shift from 22:00 to 06:00 gives a negative number, because the finish belongs to the next day.
This calculator handles all three. It also checks the result against the law you choose. For spans of dates, such as notice periods or holiday years, the date calculator is the better fit.
How long should your breaks be?
In the UK, an adult who works more than six hours a day has the right to a rest break of at least 20 minutes. This comes from regulation 12 of the Working Time Regulations 1998. The break must be one uninterrupted period, and you may spend it away from your desk. So three 10 minute coffee breaks do not meet the rule, and the calculator flags them.
Other rule sets work differently.
- Young workers in the UK. They get 30 minutes after four and a half hours, in one piece where possible.
- Germany. The law asks for 30 minutes over six hours and 45 minutes over nine. Blocks under 15 minutes do not count. Also, nobody may work more than six hours in a row.
- Austria. Workers get 30 minutes over six hours. A split into 2 × 15 or 3 × 10 minutes needs a reason and works council consent.
- EU general. The directive grants a break over six hours. However, it leaves the length to national law.
If you leave the break field empty, the tool deducts the shortest legal break. Instead, type 0 when you really had no break; the tool then shows the breach.
What does the 48 hour week mean for you?
Under regulation 4, your working time, including overtime, must not exceed 48 hours a week on average. The average normally runs over 17 weeks, so one long week is not a breach on its own. You can agree in writing to work more. This is the opt out, and you can withdraw it with notice.
The calculator only sees the week you enter. So it warns you when a single week goes over 48 hours and reminds you to check the average. Keep the CSV export of each week, and then you can build the 17 week average yourself.
Some limits apply in every case.
- Workers under 18 may not work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. They cannot opt out.
- You are entitled to 11 consecutive hours of rest between working days; young workers to 12.
- You get an uninterrupted 24 hours off each week, or 48 hours every two weeks.
Under the EU directive, the 48 hour average runs over a reference period of up to four months.
How do you convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add the result to the hours. Payroll systems expect decimals, because you can multiply them straight by an hourly rate. For example, 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours. At £15.00 an hour that is £116.25.
Here are the common conversions.
- 15 minutes = 0.25 hours
- 20 minutes = 0.33 hours
- 30 minutes = 0.50 hours
- 40 minutes = 0.67 hours
- 45 minutes = 0.75 hours
Values such as 20 and 40 minutes do not divide evenly. That is where manual timesheets drift. If you round each day first, the week can end up a few minutes out. The calculator avoids this, because it adds whole minutes first and converts the total once. For quick percentage checks on pay, such as what a 50% premium adds, the percentage calculator helps.
Using a working hours calculator for overtime pay
In the UK, employers do not have to pay extra for overtime; your contract sets the rate. Still, your average pay for all the hours you work must not fall below the National Minimum Wage. Many contracts pay time and a half or double time. Others pay plain time or offer time off in lieu instead.
The calculator works it out in three steps.
- First, it subtracts your contract hours from your weekly net total.
- Next, it turns your monthly salary into an hourly rate: monthly pay ÷ (weekly hours × 52 ÷ 12).
- Finally, it multiplies the extra hours by that rate and your premium.
For example, with £2,600 a month and a 40 hour contract, the hourly rate is £15.00. Five extra hours at a 50% premium come to £112.50 gross. Tax and National Insurance come off afterwards, so your take home figure will be lower. In Austria or Türkiye, the tool applies the statutory premiums for you.
Which rules apply if you work in another European country?
Working time law follows the place where you work, so switch the rule set to match. The EU directive sets the floor for member states. Each country then builds on it.
- Germany. The rule is 8 hours per working day. Up to 10 hours are allowed if the average over six months stays at 8. Sunday work needs an exception and a substitute rest day.
- Austria. You may work up to 12 hours a day and 60 a week, with a 48 hour average over 17 weeks. Overtime carries a 50% premium by law.
- Türkiye. The normal week is 45 hours, with an 11 hour daily cap. Hours above 45 are overtime at 150%. Also, the annual total may not exceed 270 hours.
The calculator also changes the currency with the rule set. In practice, this helps cross border teams and anyone who compares an offer abroad.
Why should employers keep working time records?
Regulation 9 requires UK employers to keep records that show they respect the weekly limit and the rules for young and night workers. They must keep these records for two years. However, since 2024 an employer need not record daily hours if it can show compliance another way. In the EU, the Court of Justice ruled in 2019 that member states must require employers to set up a reliable system for recording daily working time.
Time records are personal data, so they need the same care as any other employee file. My guide on building a GDPR compliant website covers the principles. On the planning side, good booking and enquiry forms show you in advance when customers arrive, so you can staff the right hours. If you want booking, CRM or ERP connections built into your site, see my web design service and the overview of website integrations.
Common mistakes
- ✕MistakeCounting unpaid lunch as work✓Do this insteadSubtract unpaid breaks. 9:00 to 17:30 with a 30 minute lunch is 8 hours, not 8.5.
- ✕MistakeWriting minutes as decimals✓Do this instead7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75 hours, not 7.45; divide the minutes by 60.
- ✕MistakeTaking three short breaks for the 20 minute rule✓Do this insteadThe UK rule needs one uninterrupted break of 20 minutes. So 3 × 10 minutes does not qualify.
- ✕MistakeChecking one week against the 48 hour limit✓Do this insteadThe limit is an average over 17 weeks. Keep each week's export and then average them.
- ✕MistakeRounding each day before adding✓Do this insteadAdd whole minutes first and convert the total once. Otherwise the week drifts by several minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan your shifts around real demand.
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