How to Calculate Clock-Out Time
Your finish time is your start time plus required paid work, plus any break that does not count toward those required hours.
The quickest way to answer “what time should I clock out?” is to keep paid work and unpaid breaks separate. Start with the time you clocked in, add the amount of work you must complete, then extend the day by the length of every unpaid break.
A step-by-step example
- Clock-in time: 7:43 AM.
- Required work: 8 hours.
- Unpaid lunch: 30 minutes.
- Total time from clock-in to clock-out: 8 hours 30 minutes.
Add 8 hours 30 minutes to 7:43 AM. The answer is 4:13 PM. A paid 30-minute lunch would not be added again because it already counts inside the required work time.
Three common clock-out examples
Common mistakes to avoid
Subtracting an unpaid lunch
An unpaid break pauses the paid-work clock, so it normally makes the finish time later. Add it to the day rather than subtracting it from the end time.
Reading 7.5 hours as 7 hours 5 minutes
Decimal hours use base 10. The .5 portion of an hour is 30 minutes, while .25 is 15 minutes and .75 is 45 minutes.
Forgetting tomorrow
A night shift can finish on the next calendar day. Keep the date attached to the answer, especially near midnight.
When the simple formula needs care
Split shifts, several unpaid breaks and daylight-saving transitions require a little more attention. Calculate each separate work segment when you have multiple clock-ins. For an overnight schedule, read the overnight shift guide.