When can I clock out?
30-minute lunch break calculator: enter your start time, the hours you need to work and the length of your lunch.
How lunch breaks are counted on a time card
A day with a lunch break has four punches: clock in, lunch out, lunch in and clock out. Hours worked are the two stretches added together:
Example
In at 8:00 AM, lunch from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM, out at 4:30 PM: 4 hours + 4 hours = 8:00 hours (8.00 in decimal). Five days like this make a 40-hour week with no overtime.
If you only know the length of your lunch, use the time card calculator with a break in minutes instead.
Paid or unpaid?
Federal law does not require employers to give a lunch break. When they do, a meal period of usually 30 minutes or more, with no work at all, can be unpaid. Short rest breaks of 5–20 minutes count as hours worked and are paid. If you eat at your desk and keep answering emails, that lunch is work time.
Meal break rules in major states
Some states require a meal break by law. A short summary for adult, non-exempt employees:
| State | Meal break rule |
|---|---|
| California | 30-minute meal break before the end of the 5th hour; a second one after 10 hours. Paid 10-minute rest break per 4 hours. |
| New York | 30-minute meal break for shifts over 6 hours that span 11 AM – 2 PM, plus extra breaks for longer shifts. |
| Washington | 30-minute meal break for shifts over 5 hours, between the 2nd and 5th hour. Paid 10-minute rest per 4 hours. |
| Colorado | 30-minute meal break for shifts over 5 hours. Paid 10-minute rest per 4 hours. |
| Illinois | 20-minute meal break for shifts of 7.5 hours or more, starting no later than 5 hours into the shift. |
Rules have exceptions (waivers, industries, minors). See the U.S. Department of Labor overview of state meal break laws and your state labor department.
Lunch break questions
Is a 30-minute lunch break paid?
Usually not. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, a bona fide meal period — typically 30 minutes or more, during which you are completely relieved of duty — is not work time and can be unpaid. If you have to keep working, answer calls or stay at your desk, the time is work time and must be paid.
How do I calculate hours worked with a lunch break?
Count the time from clock-in to lunch out, add the time from lunch in to clock-out. For example, 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM is 4 hours, and 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM is 4 hours, so the day is 8 hours. Or take the whole span (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM = 8 hours 30 minutes) and subtract the 30-minute lunch.
Are short breaks subtracted too?
No. Federal rules treat short rest breaks, usually 5 to 20 minutes, as paid work time. Only real meal periods are unpaid. If your break was 15 minutes, do not subtract it from your hours.
Can my employer automatically deduct lunch?
Many payroll systems deduct 30 minutes automatically. That is allowed only if you actually take an uninterrupted meal break. If you worked through lunch, tell your employer: the deducted time has to be paid, and it can push you into overtime.
When can I clock out after an 8-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch?
Add 8 hours 30 minutes to your start time. Starting at 8:00 AM, you can clock out at 4:30 PM; starting at 9:00 AM, at 5:30 PM. Use the clock-out calculator on this page for any start time and break length.