How to use the time card calculator with lunch
Each day has four times, in the order you'd punch them: In, Lunch out, Lunch in and Out. You can type short forms like 8, 1204 or 4:31p.
- Clocked out for lunch? Fill in all four times. The gap between Lunch out and Lunch in is not counted.
- Lunch deducted without punching? Fill in only In and Out, leave the lunch columns empty and type the lunch length in minutes under Break, for example 30.
- More than one break? Open Settings and set "Clock-ins per day" to 3 or 4 to get extra break columns.
- Use Copy first day to weekdays if you keep the same hours every day, then fix the days that were different.
- Add your hourly rate under Settings to see gross pay, then print the card, save it as PDF or download a CSV.
How the lunch break is taken off
Hours worked = (Lunch out − In) + (Out − Lunch in) − any other unpaid break minutes. That's the same as the whole span from In to Out minus the length of your lunch.
Example with lunch punches: in at 7:52 AM, out to lunch at 12:04 PM, back at 12:34 PM, out at 4:31 PM.
- Before lunch: 7:52 → 12:04 = 4 h 12 min
- After lunch: 12:34 → 4:31 = 3 h 57 min
- Total: 8 h 09 min = 8.15 decimal hours (9 ÷ 60 = 0.15)
Check: 7:52 AM to 4:31 PM is 8 h 39 min, and taking off the 30-minute lunch gives the same 8 h 09 min.
Example with a fixed lunch: you work 7:45 AM to 4:15 PM and your employer deducts a 45-minute lunch you don't punch. 8 h 30 min − 45 min = 7 h 45 min, or 7.75 hours. Enter 7:45 AM and 4:15 PM, leave the lunch columns empty and type 45 under Break.
Which breaks should you deduct?
Only unpaid meal breaks come off your hours. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, short breaks are paid, and a meal break is only unpaid if you're fully off duty:
| Break | Usual length | Paid under federal law? | What to enter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee or rest break | About 5–20 min | Yes, counts as hours worked | Don't clock out; nothing to enter |
| Meal break, fully off duty | Typically 30 min or more | No, need not be paid | Lunch out / Lunch in, or minutes under Break |
| Working lunch (eating at your post) | Any | Yes, you are not relieved from duty | Don't deduct it |
The Department of Labor puts it this way: rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are "compensable work hours", while bona fide meal periods, typically at least 30 minutes, "are not work time". You must be completely relieved from duty: if you're required to do any work while eating, the meal time is paid. Federal law doesn't require employers to give lunch or coffee breaks at all, but some states require a meal period. Sources: DOL: Breaks and Meal Periods, Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked and state meal period rules.
Lunch and more than one break in a day
Long shifts often have two unpaid meal breaks, or a lunch plus a clocked-out break. Set "Clock-ins per day" to 3 (two breaks) or 4 (three breaks). Each break you leave empty is skipped, so one setting works for days with and without the extra break.
Example, a 12-hour shift with two meal breaks:
- 6:00 AM → 11:00 AM = 5 h 00 min
- Break 1: 11:00 → 11:30 AM (not counted)
- 11:30 AM → 4:00 PM = 4 h 30 min
- Break 2: 4:00 → 4:30 PM (not counted)
- 4:30 PM → 7:00 PM = 2 h 30 min
- Total: 12 h 00 min worked in a 13-hour day
A full week with lunch breaks
Say you work Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 12:30 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:30 PM, at $18 an hour. Each day is 4 h 30 min + 4 h 30 min = 9 hours, so the week is 45 hours. Because the lunch half hour is unpaid, it doesn't count toward the 40 hours for overtime:
- Regular: 40 h × $18 = $720.00
- Overtime: 5 h × $27 (1.5 × $18) = $135.00
- Gross pay: $855.00
Enter your rate under Settings and the calculator does this split for you. The time card calculator page explains the overtime rules in more detail. For a two-week card, switch Pay period to Biweekly or use the biweekly time card calculator.
Other ways to count your hours
- Just need the length of one shift? The hours calculator gives the hours between two times, minus a break.
- Payroll wants decimals? The minutes to decimal chart turns every minute from 1 to 59 into decimal hours.
Frequently asked questions
How do I subtract a lunch break from my time card?
Work out the time before lunch and the time after lunch, then add them. For 7:52 AM in, 12:04 PM out to lunch, 12:34 PM back and 4:31 PM out: 4 h 12 min + 3 h 57 min = 8 h 09 min, or 8.15 decimal hours. That is the same as the whole day (8 h 39 min) minus the 30-minute lunch. Type the four times into the In, Lunch out, Lunch in and Out columns and the calculator does it for you.
Should a 30-minute lunch be taken off my hours?
Usually, if it is a real meal break. Under federal law a bona fide meal period (typically 30 minutes or more) does not have to be paid, as long as you are completely relieved from duty. If you have to keep working while you eat, such as answering phones at your desk, that time counts as hours worked and should not be deducted. Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #22.
Are 15-minute breaks paid or unpaid?
Under federal law, short breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are paid work time when an employer offers them, and they count toward overtime. So you normally do not clock out for a coffee break, and you should not subtract it on this calculator. Only unpaid meal breaks go in the Lunch columns or the Break (min) column.
My lunch is deducted automatically and I don't clock out. How do I enter that?
Type your start time under In and your end time under Out, leave Lunch out and Lunch in empty, and put the lunch length in minutes under Break. For example 7:45 AM to 4:15 PM with a 45-minute lunch is 7 h 45 min (7.75 hours). The calculator treats a blank lunch as one continuous shift, so it does not show an error.
How do I enter more than one break in a day?
Open Settings and set "Clock-ins per day" to 3 or 4. The columns change to In, Break 1 out, Break 1 in, Break 2 out, Break 2 in and Out. Fill in only the breaks you took; an empty break is skipped. A 12-hour shift from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM with two 30-minute meal breaks (11:00–11:30 AM and 4:00–4:30 PM) comes to 12 hours worked.
Can I use a lunch break and a fixed break on the same day?
Yes. Enter the lunch you clocked out for in the Lunch out and Lunch in columns, and type any other unpaid minutes in the Break column. Both are taken off. Just make sure you do not enter the same lunch twice, once as punches and again as minutes.
Is a lunch break required by law?
Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. Some states do, and the U.S. Department of Labor keeps a table of the states that require a meal period and how long it must be. Check your state's rule and your employer's policy if you are not sure whether you are owed a lunch break.
Does it work for a night shift with a lunch break after midnight?
Yes. Type 10p under In, 2 under Lunch out, 230 under Lunch in and 630 under Out. The calculator reads them as 10:00 PM, 2:00 AM, 2:30 AM and 6:30 AM, and adds 4 hours before lunch to 4 hours after it: 8 hours, marked "overnight".
Is this time card calculator with lunch free?
Yes. It is free to use online with no sign-up and no limit. Your times are saved only in your own browser, so they are still there when you come back on the same device, and nothing is sent to our servers.
Can I print a time card that shows my lunch in and out times?
Yes. Use "Print / Save PDF" for a one-page time card with the In, Lunch out, Lunch in and Out columns, or "Download CSV" to open it in a spreadsheet. You can add your name and your employer to the printout.