Timesheet calculator with lunch break
A weekly timesheet where lunch is the point. Enter your in and out times, set the lunch length (30 minutes by default), and tick any day you worked through it. If your employer's system deducts lunch automatically, turn that on and the calculator shows the hours you actually worked, the hours the system will pay, and the minutes you are owed back.
Rest breaks of 5–20 minutes must be paid under federal rules; only a bona fide meal period of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid, and only if you are fully relieved.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the time you clocked in and out for each day of the week.
- Set the lunch length in minutes. It defaults to 30; change it on any day that differs.
- Tick Worked through lunch on any day you did not take the break. That time counts as hours worked.
- If your employer's time system deducts lunch automatically, leave Employer auto-deducts lunch on. The totals bar then shows what the system pays and the minutes owed back.
- Export a CSV or print the week to attach to a correction request or keep with your stub.
When lunch can be unpaid
Under federal rules a bona fide meal period is not work time. It ordinarily lasts at least 30 minutes, and you must be completely relieved of duty for the purpose of eating (29 CFR 785.19). If you are required to stay at your station, answer calls or keep an eye on things, the period is hours worked and must be paid. Short rest breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are always paid (29 CFR 785.18).
Federal law does not require employers to provide a lunch break at all. Many states do, with their own minimum lengths and timing, and those rules apply on top of the federal ones.
Automatic lunch deductions
Many timekeeping systems subtract a fixed 30 or 60 minutes from every shift over a certain length, whether or not the break was taken. An automatic deduction is lawful only when the employee actually receives the uninterrupted meal period. If you worked through lunch and the system deducted it anyway, the deducted minutes are unpaid hours worked, and that is a wage claim issue.
This calculator models that exactly. With auto-deduct on, Hours worked is what you did, Employer pays is what the system will record, and Owed back is the difference, which comes entirely from days flagged as worked through lunch.
How the hours are calculated
For each day, clock-out minus clock-in gives time on the clock. If lunch was taken, the lunch minutes are subtracted. If you worked through it, nothing is subtracted. The auto-deduct figure always subtracts the lunch. Overnight shifts are counted on the day they started. Totals appear in decimal hours, which payroll uses, and in hours and minutes.
What to do with minutes owed
Ask for a correction in writing before the pay period closes, with the dates and minutes. Keep a copy. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, hours over 40 in a workweek are paid at one and one half times the regular rate (29 U.S.C. 207), so a deducted lunch in a 40-hour week is often overtime you were not paid. Employers must keep accurate time records (29 CFR 516), and your own dated record is what makes a dispute winnable. The PunchStamp app keeps that record from one-tap punches and flags skipped lunches automatically.
Frequently asked questions
Can my employer deduct lunch automatically?
Yes, if you actually take the uninterrupted meal period. If you worked through it, the deduction is unpaid work time and you are entitled to be paid for it. Flag the day in the calculator to see the minutes owed.
Does a 30-minute lunch have to be paid?
Not under federal rules, as long as you are completely relieved of duty for the whole 30 minutes. If you are interrupted or required to stay available, it is hours worked. Breaks shorter than about 20 minutes must be paid.
How do I calculate hours with a lunch break?
Subtract clock-in from clock-out, then subtract the lunch. 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a 30-minute lunch is 8.5 hours minus 0.5, which is 8 hours. The calculator does this per day and totals the week.
What if I worked through lunch?
Tick Worked through lunch for that day. The lunch minutes stay in your hours worked. If auto-deduct is on, the calculator also shows those minutes as owed back to you.
Is skipped lunch paid at overtime?
If adding it back takes your workweek over 40 hours, the hours over 40 are paid at 1.5x under federal law. Some states also pay daily overtime. Use the time card calculator to see the full split.
Do federal rules require a lunch break?
No. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require meal or rest breaks. It only governs whether breaks that are given count as paid time. Many states require meal breaks after a set number of hours; check your state labor department.
Is my timesheet saved?
It is saved in your browser on this device. Export a CSV or print it for a permanent copy before clearing browser data.
Related calculators
This calculator produces estimates for your own records. It is not payroll, tax or legal advice. Overtime rules vary by state, industry and employer policy. Sources: U.S. Department of Labor, 29 CFR Parts 516, 778 and 785; state labor codes named above.