Step 01
Write each shift in one consistent format.
Use day | start | end | break minutes for each line. Keeping the same format makes the total easy to check manually.
Start and end times should use the same 24-hour clock. Break minutes are subtracted as unpaid time; if breaks are paid, enter zero.
Step 02
Handle overnight shifts.
If the end time is earlier than the start time, the shift is treated as finishing on the next day. A 22:00 start and 06:00 finish is an eight-hour elapsed span before any break is subtracted.
The weekly calculator applies this rule automatically and includes the day count from the entered lines.
Step 03
Worked example: five 09:00–17:30 shifts.
Each shift has 8.5 elapsed hours and a 30-minute unpaid break, leaving 8 paid hours. Five shifts total 40 paid hours, or 2,400 minutes.
If one day has a 60-minute unpaid lunch instead, that day contributes 7.5 hours and the weekly total falls to 39.5 hours.
Step 04
Check payroll rounding and overtime rules.
The calculator returns the raw paid total from the times you enter. Payroll rules can change the payable figure.
- Does the employer round to the nearest quarter-hour, 6-minute interval or minute?
- Are breaks paid or unpaid, and are they automatic or clocked?
- Does overtime start after a daily or weekly threshold?
- Are night-shift premiums or contractual working-time rules included?
Free reusable resource
Keep a practical worksheet.
Download a blank, editable file and keep the plan with your own records. No email address is required.
Weekly work hours worksheet
Record each day's start, end, break minutes and paid minutes to check the weekly total.
Sources and further guidance
References used for this guide.
Maximum weekly working hours
GOV.UK. GOV.UK explains the UK working-time limits and when workers can opt out.