Free time card calculator with lunch

How ClearTimeCard deducts lunch

ClearTimeCard subtracts the time between lunch out and lunch in from your shift, and the result is your paid hours.

• Enter four times for each day: clock in, lunch out, lunch in, and clock out.
• Leave both lunch fields blank if you didn't take an unpaid lunch. Then nothing is subtracted.
• The lunch has to fall inside the shift. If it doesn't, ClearTimeCard shows an error instead of guessing.
• There is one lunch slot per day. Enter only unpaid meal breaks there, not short paid breaks.
• Your week is saved in your browser on this device, so it's still there when you come back.

When is lunch unpaid?

Under federal law, a meal break is unpaid only when you are completely relieved from duty, and it is ordinarily 30 minutes or more.

• Meal breaks: A real meal period is not work time if you are completely relieved from duty. Ordinarily 30 minutes or more is long enough, and a shorter period can qualify under special conditions. If you have to do any duties while you eat, such as eating at your desk and answering the phone, it's work time and must be paid (29 CFR 785.19, DOL Fact Sheet #22).
• Short breaks: Rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are paid and count as hours worked (29 CFR 785.18).
• No federal break requirement: Federal law doesn't require employers to give lunch or coffee breaks at all (DOL: Breaks and Meal Periods). Some states do.

California meal and rest breaks

California requires a 30-minute meal period for a work period of more than 5 hours in a day, and a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked or major fraction of 4 hours.

• First meal period: Required for more than 5 hours of work in a day. You and your employer can agree to skip it if your whole workday is 6 hours or less.
• Second meal period: Required for more than 10 hours of work in a day. It can be skipped by mutual consent only if you work 12 hours or less and the first meal period wasn't skipped (Labor Code 512).
• Unpaid only if fully off duty: If you aren't relieved of all duty, or your employer requires you to stay on site, the meal period must be paid (DIR Meal Periods FAQ).
• Rest breaks: You get a net 10 minutes for each 4 hours worked or major fraction. DLSE treats more than 2 hours as a major fraction. Rest breaks are paid, and they aren't required if you work less than 3.5 hours in the day (DIR Rest Periods FAQ).
• Missed breaks: A missed meal period or rest period can mean one extra hour of pay at your regular rate for that workday. ClearTimeCard doesn't calculate this premium.

Worked example: 8:30 am to 5:15 pm with a 12:00 to 12:30 lunch

This day comes to 8 hours 15 minutes, or 8.25 paid hours.

1. Morning: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm is 3 hours 30 minutes.
2. Afternoon: 12:30 pm to 5:15 pm is 4 hours 45 minutes.
3. Add them: 3:30 + 4:45 = 8 hours 15 minutes.
4. Convert to decimal: 15 ÷ 60 = 0.25, so the total is 8.25 hours.

Another way to get the same answer: the whole day is 8 hours 45 minutes, and 8:45 minus the 30-minute lunch is 8:15. At $20 an hour, 8.25 × $20 = $165.00 before taxes.

More examples

Example 2: an unpaid lunch plus a paid 15-minute break comes to 8.50 hours. Only the 30-minute lunch goes in the lunch fields. Under federal rules the 15-minute break is paid, so it stays in the total. If you entered it as lunch, you would get 8.25 hours, which is 15 minutes too low.

Example 3: a 45-minute lunch comes to 7.75 hours. 9:00 am to 5:30 pm is 8:30. 8:30 minus 0:45 = 7:45, or 7.75 hours. With a 30-minute lunch, the same day would be 8.00 hours.

Example 4: no lunch entered, so the whole 8 hours 45 minutes (8.75 hours) counts as paid time.

Frequently asked questions

Is an unpaid lunch counted as hours worked?

No, not if it's a real meal break and you are completely relieved from duty. A bona fide meal period, ordinarily 30 minutes or more, isn't work time under federal rules. If you have to do any work while eating, the time counts as hours worked (DOL Fact Sheet #22).

Are short breaks paid?

Yes. Under federal rules, breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes are paid work time (29 CFR 785.18). Don't enter a 10- or 15-minute break in the lunch fields.

How long does lunch have to be to be unpaid?

Federal rules say ordinarily 30 minutes or more, though a shorter period can qualify under special conditions (29 CFR 785.19). Being completely relieved from duty matters most. California requires its meal period to be at least 30 minutes.

What if I work through lunch or eat at my desk?

Then that time is work time and should be paid. DOL Fact Sheet #22 gives this example: an employee who eats at the desk and regularly answers the phone is working. Leave the lunch fields blank for any lunch you didn't actually get off duty.

Does California treat lunch differently?

Yes. California requires a 30-minute meal period for a work period of more than 5 hours, plus paid 10-minute rest breaks. A missed break can mean one extra hour of pay (DIR Meal Periods FAQ, DIR Rest Periods FAQ). ClearTimeCard doesn't calculate that extra pay.

What time formats can I type?

You can type times like 8:30 am, 8:30a, 5p, 7am, 0830, or 17:15. If you leave off am or pm, the time is read as 24-hour time, so 1:00 means 1:00 in the morning. Type 1:00 pm or 13:00 for an afternoon lunch return. If a shift comes out longer than 16 hours, ClearTimeCard asks you to check AM/PM.

ClearTimeCard gives general information and estimates only, not legal, tax, or payroll advice. Break rules vary by state, employer, and job, so check with the U.S. Department of Labor or your state labor agency.

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