A weekly total is easier to check when you separate three questions: how long each shift spans, which minutes are unpaid, and how the result was converted. This guide checks arithmetic. It does not decide employment rights or verify that someone was present.
Start with the original clock times
Record each start and finish from your own records. A time such as 17:30 is a clock reading; a value such as 8.50 is a decimal duration. They are not interchangeable. When a shift ends after midnight, mark the finish as next day before subtracting the clocks.
Work through one row at a time
Only subtract breaks that are outside the work duration you want to count. Do not subtract a paid break as though it were unpaid. For split shifts recorded as separate rows, the gap between rows is already excluded: do not deduct it again.
| Day | Start–finish | Unpaid break | Net time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 09:00–17:30 | 30 min | 8h 00m |
| Tue | 08:45–17:15 | 45 min | 7h 45m |
| Wed | 09:15–17:00 | 30 min | 7h 15m |
| Thu | 09:00–18:00 | 60 min | 8h 00m |
| Fri | 08:30–16:30 | 30 min | 7h 30m |
| Weekly total | 38h 30m | ||
Add minutes before converting
The five net durations are 480, 465, 435, 480 and 450 minutes. Together they equal 2,310 minutes. Divide by 60 to obtain 38.50 decimal hours. Writing 38.30 would instead mean 38 hours 18 minutes.
The time card calculator keeps exact minutes throughout. Its CSV gives both exact minutes and four-decimal hours, so you can check a spreadsheet without relying on a rounded display.
Look for the mistakes a total hides
Check for duplicate shifts, overlapping entries, a missing next-day selection, an incorrect break and a forgotten second week. A zero-hour result can be valid, but an empty row is not proof of a day off. Always compare the inputs, not just the final number.
For two weeks, keep each week’s subtotal visible. This calculator assigns a whole overnight shift to its starting day; that may differ from the allocation expected by your workplace. It does not apply overtime, contractual rounding, wages, paid leave, time zones or daylight-saving adjustments.
Keep a copy you control
Download the CSV or use Print to save a PDF before clearing the card. Optional browser saving is useful for returning on the same device, but it is not an official record or a backup. Clearing browser data can remove it.