Military Time Card Calculator

How to Use the Military Time Card Calculator

To use the military time card calculator, enter one row per shift and read the totals. 5 steps fill a weekly time card:

1. Enter clock-in time in military format, such as 0700.
2. Enter clock-out time, such as 1530 or 0630 for a shift that ends the next morning.
3. Enter unpaid break minutes, such as 30 for lunch.
4. Add a row for each extra shift in the workweek.
5. Enter an hourly rate (optional) to see gross pay with overtime at 1.5×.

How to Calculate Hours Worked in Military Time

To calculate hours worked in military time, subtract the clock-in time from the clock-out time, then subtract unpaid breaks. Subtract hours and minutes separately: an hour has 60 minutes, not 100.

Day Shifts

A day shift from 0830 to 1715 is 8 hours 45 minutes. Borrow 1 hour from 17 to make 16 hours 75 minutes, then subtract 8 hours 30 minutes. Subtracting 830 from 1715 as plain numbers gives 885, which is wrong.

Overnight Shifts That Cross Midnight

To calculate an overnight shift, add 24 hours to the clock-out time, if the clock-out time is earlier than the clock-in time:

1. Shift 2200 to 0630: 0630 is earlier than 2200, so the shift ends the next day.
2. 06:30 + 24:00 = 30:30.
3. 30:30 − 22:00 = 8 hours 30 minutes.
4. Minus a 30-minute unpaid break = 8 hours (8.00 decimal hours).

Convert Hours and Minutes to Decimal Hours

To convert hours and minutes to decimal hours, divide the minutes by 60 and add the whole hours. 41 hours 15 minutes = 41 + 15 ÷ 60 = 41.25 hours. To reverse it, multiply the decimal part by 60: 0.75 hours × 60 = 45 minutes.

Paid and Unpaid Breaks on a Time Card

Short rest breaks are paid and meal periods are usually unpaid. Under U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rules for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), breaks of 5 to 20 minutes count as hours worked. A meal period of 30 minutes or more does not count, if the employee is fully relieved of duty. Enter only unpaid minutes in the Break column.

California adds 2 state rules: a 30-minute meal period after 5 hours of work and a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked.

Overtime Rules for Military Time Cards

Federal overtime starts after 40 hours in a workweek and pays at least 1.5 times the regular rate. A workweek is any fixed, recurring period of 168 hours (7 days × 24 hours). The FLSA covers non-exempt employees. 3 other overtime rules appear on time cards:

• California daily overtime: 1.5× after 8 hours in a workday and 2× after 12 hours.
• 8/80 hospital overtime: hospitals and nursing homes may pay overtime after 8 hours a day or 80 hours in 14 days.
• Employer policies: union contracts and company rules can set lower thresholds.

The calculator applies the federal weekly rule: hours above 40 show as overtime, and gross pay uses 1.5× for those hours.

Time Clock Rounding and the 7-Minute Rule

The 7-minute rule rounds punches to the nearest quarter hour: 1 to 7 minutes round down and 8 to 14 minutes round up. A clock-in at 0707 records as 0700, and a clock-in at 0708 records as 0715. DOL allows rounding only when it averages out over time and does not shortchange employees. This calculator uses exact minutes with no rounding.

Common Shifts in Military Time

These 7 shifts cover most schedules, shown before unpaid breaks:

How Long to Keep Time Card Records

Employers keep payroll records for at least 3 years and time cards for at least 2 years under the FLSA.Some states require longer periods. Results from this calculator are estimates; check them against your employer’s payroll rules before you submit a time sheet.