Use minutes for the calculation
For a same-day shift without a clock change, convert each time to minutes after midnight. Subtract the start from the finish, then subtract unpaid breaks.
08:00 to 16:30 is 510 minutes. Subtract a 45-minute unpaid break to get 465 minutes. Divide by 60 to get 7.75 decimal hours. Whether a break is paid or unpaid depends on the applicable arrangement; do not subtract every break automatically.
Convert minutes correctly
Decimal hours describe a fraction of an hour. Fifteen minutes is 0.25 hours, 30 minutes is 0.50 and 45 minutes is 0.75. Seven hours and 45 minutes is 7.75 hours.
Keep the original timestamps and sufficient precision when summing a period. Applying rounding separately to many small entries can produce a different total from rounding once at the end. Use the business’s agreed policy.
Watch for overnight and clock-change shifts
A finish earlier on the clock than the start may belong to the following date. Record the dates rather than silently assuming a negative duration or a same-day shift.
For daylight-saving changes, calculate elapsed time from actual timestamps in the correct time zone. A simple subtraction of displayed local clock times can be wrong. Review uncertain records before approving hours.
- Confirm start and finish dates.
- Subtract only the applicable unpaid break minutes.
- Check any authorised rounding or overtime rules.
- Confirm the hour format required by payroll.
The full CrewLoca break rules
Only enter unpaid breaks. Paid breaks should not be entered or deducted. Planned breaks are configured for a person’s working day; if a plan is set, the clocking screen does not ask the worker to start that same break manually.
For a planned break with a start time, only the portion overlapping the working interval is deducted. For example, a 13:00–13:30 break on a shift ending at 13:15 deducts 15 minutes. A timed break entirely outside the working interval deducts nothing.
For a planned break with a duration but no start time, the full planned duration is deducted at clock-out, limited so that worked time cannot go below zero. It cannot infer whether that break was actually taken; review a short shift or missed break before approval.
Recorded unpaid breaks count towards the planned deduction rather than being added on top of it. Timed recorded breaks deduct only their overlap with the working interval. If recorded unpaid break time is greater than the applicable planned deduction, the greater recorded amount applies, limited to the working interval.
Check the final deduction before approving hours. A permitted reviewer can correct it with a reason if the plan does not match what happened. Keep the original evidence and correction reason.
Common questions
Is 7.30 the same as 7 hours 30 minutes?
Not when the number represents decimal hours. Seven hours 30 minutes is 7.50 decimal hours; 7.30 decimal hours is 7 hours 18 minutes.
Does an hours total tell me the wage due?
No. Wage rates, paid breaks, overtime treatment and other payroll rules must be applied separately. CrewLoca exports approved attendance hours rather than calculating wages or tax.