Shift Length Calculator With Breaks
Enter your clock-in and clock-out times and up to three breaks to see how long you actually worked, in hours and minutes and in decimal hours.
Shift Length Calculator With Breaks calculates in your browser.
How long did you actually work?
A shift on the rota and the time you actually worked aren’t the same number once breaks come out. Enter when the shift started and ended — including a night shift that runs past midnight — and the length of up to three breaks, such as a meal break and two shorter rest breaks. The calculator gives the full shift length, the total break time, and the working time that’s left, in hours and minutes and as decimal hours ready for a timesheet. It subtracts only the breaks you enter; it doesn’t decide which breaks count as work time.
How to use the Shift Length Calculator With Breaks
- Enter the shift start and end times. If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is taken to end the next day.
- Type the length of each break to take off, in minutes. Leave unused break boxes blank.
- Read the working time after breaks, the decimal hours, the shift length before breaks, and the total break time.
The formula
Shift length = end time − start time (+ 24 hours if the shift ends the next day)
Working time = shift length − (break 1 + break 2 + break 3)
Decimal hours = working minutes ÷ 60
Clock times and break minutes are whole minutes, so the hours-and-minutes result is exact. The decimal hours are rounded to 2 places and marked ≈ when the minutes don’t divide evenly, as with the 6:45 AM shift, whose 8 hours 5 minutes is 8.0833… hours.
| Shift | Breaks | Working time | Decimal hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM | 30 minutes | 8 hours | 8 hours |
| 6:45 AM – 3:10 PM | 20 minutes | 8 hours 5 minutes | ≈ 8.08 hours |
| 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM | 1 hour | 11 hours | 11 hours |
| 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM | 45 minutes | 7 hours 15 minutes | 7.25 hours |
| 6:45 PM – 7:15 AM | 1 hour | 11 hours 30 minutes | 11.5 hours |
Calculated on your device
- The calculation runs in your browser as you type; nothing is sent to a server.
- Your times, breaks, and results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored.
- The calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics, so what you enter isn’t captured in recordings.
Limitations
- It doesn’t say whether a break is paid or counts as work time — that depends on your employer’s policy and the rules where you work. Enter only the breaks you want subtracted.
- Clock times can’t show a shift of 24 hours or more, so a start and end time that are the same aren’t accepted. For long shifts, use the Break Deduction Calculator with the total hours.
- On the two nights a year when clocks change for daylight saving time, an overnight shift lasts an hour more or less than the clock times suggest. The calculator uses the clock times as entered.
- Up to three breaks of up to 1,440 minutes each, in whole minutes. Breaks can’t add up to more than the shift.
- It works out time, not pay; it doesn’t apply overtime or any other payroll rule.
Related calculators
- Night Shift Premium CalculatorEstimate extra pay for overnight hours, using the premium you enter.
- Break Deduction CalculatorSubtract break time from hours worked.
- Hours Between Times CalculatorCount the hours between two clock times.
Guides
- Overnight Time SpansMeasure a span that crosses midnight, such as a night shift, why adding 24 hours works, and what changes on the nights the clocks move.
- Shift Length With BreaksSeparate shift length, break time, and hours worked, subtract several breaks at once, and record the result in decimal hours.
- 12-Hour Shift HoursWorking time left on a 7-to-7 shift after common break patterns, and what three or four 12-hour shifts add up to each week and pay period.
- Split Shift HoursAdd up a shift worked in two parts, treat the gap like a long break, and handle split shifts that end after midnight.
Shift Length Calculator With Breaks FAQ
- How do I calculate my shift length with breaks?
- Subtract the start time from the end time to get the shift length, then subtract the total break time. 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM is 8 hours 30 minutes; with a 30-minute break, that leaves 8 hours.
- How do I work out an overnight shift?
- When the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift ends the next day, so 24 hours are added to the end time before subtracting. 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM is 8 hours; with breaks of 30 and 15 minutes, that is 7 hours 15 minutes, or 7.25 decimal hours.
- Can I enter more than one break?
- Yes, up to three. They are added together and taken off once. For a split shift, enter the gap between the two parts of the shift as a break.
- Which breaks should I subtract?
- Only the ones you want taken off your hours. Whether a break counts as work time depends on your employer’s policy and the rules where you work, and the calculator doesn’t decide that.
- What about a 24-hour shift?
- Clock times alone can’t tell a 24-hour shift from no time at all, so a start and end time that are the same aren’t accepted. Enter 24 hours in the Break Deduction Calculator instead.
- Are the hours and dates I enter sent anywhere?
- No. The calculation runs in your browser as you type. Your hours, dates, and results are not sent to Looty Tools or stored, and the calculator area is masked from session-recording analytics. Refreshing the page clears it.
