Clock out time calculator
Enter when you clocked in, how many hours you need and your unpaid break: see when to clock out.
How to calculate time clock hours
A time clock records punches: clock in, clock out, and again for every break or second shift. Hours worked are the in/out pairs added together:
Example with a split shift
In at 6:00 AM, out at 10:00 AM, back in at 4:00 PM, out at 8:30 PM: 4 hours + 4 hours 30 minutes = 8:30, or 8.5 decimal hours. Use + in/out next to a day to add the second pair. The time between pairs is shown as an unpaid break unless you tick “Breaks are paid”.
Using the online time clock
- Press Clock in when you start. The current time goes into today’s row, and the week starts on this Monday.
- Press Clock out for a break or at the end of the day, then Clock in again after the break.
- At the end of the week, download the PDF with signature lines or send it by email.
Time clock rounding: the 7-minute rule
Many employers round punches to the nearest quarter hour (15 minutes). Punches up to 7 minutes past a quarter are rounded down, from 8 minutes on they are rounded up:
| Punch time | Counts as | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 – 8:07 | 8:00 | rounded down |
| 8:08 – 8:22 | 8:15 | rounded to the quarter |
| 8:23 – 8:37 | 8:30 | rounded to the half hour |
| 8:38 – 8:52 | 8:45 | rounded to the quarter |
| 8:53 – 9:07 | 9:00 | rounded to the hour |
Rounding to 5 minutes or to 6 minutes (one tenth of an hour) works the same way: to the nearest step. Federal rules allow rounding only if it evens out over time, so employees are paid for all the hours they actually work (29 CFR 785.48). In California, meal break punches should not be rounded at all. Set the rounding in “Pay, rounding & overtime” above to see how it changes your hours.
Time clock questions
How do I calculate hours from a time clock?
For each pair of punches, subtract the clock-in time from the clock-out time, then add the pairs together. In at 8:00 AM, out at 12:00 PM, in at 12:45 PM, out at 5:15 PM: 4 hours + 4 hours 30 minutes = 8 hours 30 minutes, or 8.5 decimal hours. The 45 minutes between the pairs are an unpaid break.
Can I use this as a free online time clock?
Yes. Press Clock in when you start and Clock out when you stop; the current time goes into today’s row of the time card. Punches are kept in this browser on this device only, so download the PDF or CSV at the end of the week. There is no account and nothing is sent to a server.
What is the 7-minute rule?
When time is rounded to the nearest quarter hour, 1 to 7 minutes past a quarter are rounded down and 8 to 14 minutes are rounded up. A punch at 8:07 counts as 8:00, a punch at 8:08 counts as 8:15. Federal rules allow this only if, over time, it does not shortchange employees.
Is it legal for an employer to always round time down?
No. Under 29 CFR 785.48, rounding is allowed only when it averages out so employees are paid for all the time they actually work. A policy that always rounds in the employer’s favor is not neutral. The “always up / always down” setting here is for checking what such a policy does to your hours.
How do I count a shift that goes past midnight?
Enter it on the day the shift started. Clock in 10:00 PM and clock out 6:00 AM on the same row and the calculator counts 8 hours. With the Clock in button, a clock-out after midnight goes to the previous day’s open shift automatically.