- How does overtime work in this calculator?
- It follows the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA §7): hours worked past 40 in a single workweek are paid at 1.5× the regular rate. Hours up to 40 are paid at the base rate. The calculator does NOT apply daily overtime rules — those vary by state (California, Alaska, Nevada, Colorado, Oregon all have their own thresholds), and shipping one number for every state isn't honest. For California-style daily overtime, use our Overtime Calculator.
- Can I enter overnight shifts that cross midnight?
- Yes. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the calculator assumes the shift wrapped around midnight and adds 24 hours. A shift from 10:00pm to 6:00am counts as 8 hours, not negative-16. The per-day breakdown labels these shifts "next day" so you can spot them.
- What time format should I use?
- Either 24-hour HH:MM (17:30) or 12-hour with am/pm (5:30pm, 9:00am). The HTML time input on your browser will likely default to 24-hour. The 12-hour parser is case-insensitive — "5:30PM" works the same as "5:30pm".
- What if I didn't work a day?
- Leave both the start and end times blank. The calculator treats that day as zero hours — no error, no warning. If you fill in only one of the two fields, you'll see a teaching error asking you to either fill both or leave both blank.
- Should I deduct unpaid breaks from the hours I worked?
- Don't pre-deduct. Enter the actual clock-in and clock-out times, and put the unpaid break minutes in the third column. The calculator subtracts the break and gives you the net worked hours. This matches how most payroll systems and time clocks record shifts.
- Is paid break time deducted?
- No — only the minutes you enter in the break column are subtracted. If your employer pays you for short rest breaks (typically the 10-minute kind under California Wage Orders), leave those out of the break field. Only enter unpaid breaks, like a 30-minute lunch.
- Does this work for biweekly timesheets?
- Not directly — the calculator is weekly. Compute one week at a time and add them. The FLSA overtime threshold (40 hours) is per workweek, not per pay period, so calculating each week separately gives you the correct overtime split even for biweekly or semimonthly payroll.
- Are my times stored or sent anywhere?
- No. The calculator runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No times, no rates, no pay figures leave your device. Close the tab and the data is gone.
