Subtract only unpaid breaks from the shift duration. An 8-hour shift minus a 30-minute unpaid lunch is 7 hours 30 minutes. A paid 15-minute rest break remains included.
Start with the actual shift duration
A 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM shift lasts 8 hours 30 minutes. Subtracting a 30-minute unpaid lunch gives 8 hours of work. If lunch was paid, the work total remains 8 hours 30 minutes.
A meal period is not decided by duration alone
Federal rules generally count short 5–20 minute rest breaks as compensable time. A bona fide meal period is typically 30 minutes or more and can be unpaid when the worker is relieved of duties. Eating at a desk while performing work may not be an unpaid meal period.
Check multiple breaks individually
Record each break and mark whether it is paid. Do not subtract the same interval twice. If you enter clock times for multiple breaks, the calculator checks that the intervals fall inside the shift and do not overlap.
Check the method
Read the calculation methodology for all assumptions, precision choices, and limitations.