Time Duration Calculator
Hours between two times — overnight-aware, break-deducting, with decimal hours for timesheets.
How to use this tool
- Enter the start and end times.
- Subtract any unpaid break minutes.
- Read the duration as hours:minutes and as decimal hours (what payroll systems use).
How it works
Payroll is where this math bites: a 8:47 punch-in and 5:13 punch-out with a half-hour unpaid break is 7 hours 56 minutes of paid time — 7.93 decimal hours, not 7.56. The tool handles the minutes-to-decimal conversion (divide by 60) that causes most timesheet errors, and correctly rolls spans past midnight for overnight shifts.
If the end time is earlier than the start, the tool assumes the span crosses midnight — a 22:00–06:00 shift is 8 hours, not −16. Decimal hours are minutes ÷ 60: 7 hours 45 minutes = 7.75, which is the format timesheet and payroll systems expect.
Frequently asked questions
Why does 7:30 become 7.5 hours and not 7.3?
Minutes are sixtieths of an hour, not hundredths — 30 minutes is 30/60 = 0.5 hours. Entering 7.3 into payroll for seven-and-a-half hours underpays 12 minutes per day, which is the single most common timesheet mistake.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes by 60 and add: 7h 45m = 7 + 45/60 = 7.75 hours. The common payroll mistake is writing 7.45 — the tool gives the correct decimal.
Does this handle overnight shifts?
Yes — an end time earlier than the start is treated as next-day, so 23:00 to 07:30 with a 30-minute break is 8 hours.
How are breaks handled?
Break minutes are subtracted from the raw span, matching how unpaid meal breaks work on timesheets.