Working hours calculator: total the week, with the working shown.
Total timesheet hours with unpaid breaks deducted — overnight shifts, decimal-hours conversion and the 48-hour average check — then record the real working pattern.
Total the week with the working shown
40h 0m40.00 hours in decimal this week
The working
- Monday: 09:00 to 17:30 = 8h 30m − 30m break = 8h 0m (8.00 hours)
- Tuesday: 09:00 to 17:30 = 8h 30m − 30m break = 8h 0m (8.00 hours)
- Wednesday: 09:00 to 17:30 = 8h 30m − 30m break = 8h 0m (8.00 hours)
- Thursday: 09:00 to 17:30 = 8h 30m − 30m break = 8h 0m (8.00 hours)
- Friday: 09:00 to 17:30 = 8h 30m − 30m break = 8h 0m (8.00 hours)
- Total: 2,400 minutes worked over 5 days = 40h 0m
- Decimal hours: 2,400 ÷ 60 = 40.00 (decimals are shown to 2 places; the minutes figure is exact)
Working time is wider than shift time: job-related training, travel that is part of the job (not ordinary commuting) and time on call at the workplace all count; breaks where no work is done do not. One heavy week is not a breach by itself — the 48-hour limit is an average, so check a sustained pattern in the 48-hour average mode.
What this calculator does not do
It totals the times you enter, converts them to decimal hours, and checks a simple average against the 48-hour limit (normally averaged over 17 weeks). It flags the usual rest minimums — it never issues a compliance verdict. It does not handle:
- Opt-out agreements — it cannot tell you whether a valid written opt-out from the 48-hour limit applies.
- Night workers, workers under 18 (their limits are 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, not an average) or special sectors — trainee doctors and offshore workers use different reference periods, and some jobs are exempt.
- More than one employer — the working-time limits apply to all jobs added together, not to each job separately.
- On-call classification — time on call at the workplace counts as working time, time on call away from it generally does not, and it cannot judge your arrangement.
- Pay — it totals hours, not wages. Overtime rates, TOIL and minimum-wage questions for salaried-hours work need their own check.
For any of those, or a disputed case, use the official GOV.UK guidance on maximum weekly working hours and rest breaks at work, or Acas — they are the authority, not us.
Rules basis: a 48-hour average working week, normally over a 17-week reference period, a 20-minute rest break on working days over 6 hours, 11 hours of daily rest and 24 hours of weekly rest (48 a fortnight). Reviewed 22 July 2026 · next review due by 22 July 2027 · Source: GOV.UK maximum weekly working hours
The authorityCross-check any answer with GOV.UK's working-time guidance — it is the definitive source for opt-outs, night work, young workers and every sector exception. ↗How do you calculate working hours?
Take each day's finish time minus the start time, deduct unpaid breaks, and add the days up. A shift that runs past midnight still counts from start to finish — 22:00 to 06:00 with an hour's break is 7 hours. For payroll, convert minutes to decimal hours by dividing by 60: 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5, and 20 minutes is 0.33, not 0.20.
Working time is wider than shift time: job-related training, travel that is part of the job and time on call at the workplace count; breaks where no work is done and ordinary commuting do not. The legal ceiling is a 48-hour average working week, normally averaged over 17 weeks, alongside a 20-minute rest break on working days over 6 hours, 11 hours of daily rest and 24 hours of weekly rest (or 48 a fortnight). The calculator above shows every step and flags those minimums.
What matters
Start with the rule
Take each day's finish time minus the start time, deduct unpaid breaks, and add the days up. A shift that runs past midnight still counts from start to finish — 22:00 to 06:00 with an hour's break is 7 hours. For payroll, convert minutes to decimal hours by dividing by 60: 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5, and 20 minutes is 0.33, not 0.20.
Write down the decision
Keep the policy, dates, calculation inputs and decision together so another person can understand what happened.
Check the current source
The calculator above totals the times entered and flags the usual limits — it is not a compliance verdict. Opt-outs, night workers, under-18s, special sectors and multiple jobs need the current GOV.UK and Acas guidance.
A practical checklist
For a small team, a short repeatable process beats an impressive policy nobody follows.
- Record actual start, finish and break times, not the rota
- Deduct unpaid breaks before totalling
- Convert minutes to decimal hours by dividing by 60
- Count all working time — training, work travel and workplace on-call
- Check sustained patterns against the 48-hour average
- Keep any signed 48-hour opt-out with the records
Where software helps — and where it does not
HollyHR can keep the relevant people record, dates, documents, leave and working pattern in one place. It cannot decide a legal, medical or employee-relations question for you.
The calculator above totals the times entered and flags the usual limits — it is not a compliance verdict. Opt-outs, night workers, under-18s, special sectors and multiple jobs need the current GOV.UK and Acas guidance.
Check the source, not just our summary
Rules and product pages change. These are the first-party references behind this page.
Questions people ask
Is this legal advice?
No. It is a practical summary for UK small teams. Check the linked official guidance and take qualified advice for a specific or disputed case.
Why keep the source with the calculation?
Rates and rules change. Recording the inputs, date and source makes the answer reviewable instead of becoming an unexplained number in a spreadsheet.
Can HollyHR track this?
HollyHR can hold the underlying employee, working-pattern, leave and document records. It does not present itself as a legal-advice engine.
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Keep reading: TOIL guide · Working patterns