Work Hours, PTO, Shift & Payroll Guides

How to Calculate Work Hours Correctly

A practical guide to calculating worked time, subtracting breaks, handling overnight shifts and converting minutes to decimal hours.

Decimal Hours Conversion Chart and Payroll Examples

Convert work hours and minutes to payroll decimals with formulas, a conversion chart, reverse checks and answers for 0.10, 0.50 and 0.80 hours.

How to Calculate an Overnight Shift

When clock-out is earlier than clock-in, add 24 hours to the ending time before subtracting the start and unpaid breaks.

How to Subtract Unpaid Breaks from a Timecard

Subtract unpaid break minutes from elapsed shift time, then convert the result to decimal hours. Follow a worked timecard example and avoid double deductions.

How to Count Working Days Between Two Dates

Count dates on your working weekdays, remove actual closures, and decide whether both endpoints belong in the range before multiplying by daily hours.

Why Decimal Hours Totals Differ After Rounding

Rounding each timesheet row can produce a different total from adding the original durations and rounding once. Compare the two methods before investigating missing time.

Check a Decimal-Time CSV Before a Payroll Import

Confirm the expected unit, decimal separator, row rounding and treatment of overtime before importing a converted time column.

Convert Minutes to Decimal Hours in Excel: Formulas & Examples

Convert minutes to decimal hours in Excel with =A2/60 or time durations with =A2*24. Follow worked examples, fix formatting errors and total hours over 24.

Convert a Timesheet Column to Decimal Hours Without Losing the Total

Choose one input format, preserve the original durations, and export both row conversions and a reconciled total. This workflow works with a copied column of elapsed times.

Monthly Work Hours: Actual Calendar vs. 173.33-Hour Average

Understand why a month can contain 160, 168, 176 or 184 scheduled hours and when an annual monthly average answers a different question.

Why Two Biweekly Payroll Calendars Show Different Dates

Compare payday anchors, pay-period end dates and holiday adjustments to understand why two biweekly payroll calendars disagree, even for the same year.

Seconds to Decimal Hours: Formula, Examples and Accuracy Checks

Convert seconds to decimal hours with a simple formula, worked examples, rounding checks and guidance for checking duration totals.

Convert HH:MM:SS Durations to Decimal Hours

Convert HH:MM:SS durations to decimal hours, including seconds, totals over 24 hours, input validation and common conversion mistakes.

Seven Common Timesheet Errors and How to Catch Them

Catch seven timesheet errors involving decimal hours, overnight shifts, break deductions, duplicate rows, rounding and missing information.

12-Hour vs 24-Hour Time: A Practical Conversion Guide

Convert AM and PM to 24-hour time and back. Understand noon, midnight, overnight dates and the difference between clock times and durations.

How to Add and Subtract Time Durations by Hand

Add and subtract hours, minutes and seconds by hand. Follow worked examples for durations, breaks, overnight intervals and weekly totals.

How to Calculate Clock-Out Time with Lunch and Overnight Shifts

Calculate a departure time from paid hours and unpaid lunch. Follow same-day and overnight examples, avoid decimal-time mistakes, and check your result.

How to Calculate Split Shift Hours

Add separate work sessions correctly, exclude the gap once, and distinguish hours worked from the full span of a split shift.

Excel: Show Total Hours Above 24

Fix Excel totals that wrap after 24 hours, keep durations numeric, and check a weekly timesheet with a simple 37:30 example.

Convert Decimal Hours to Time in Excel

Convert 7.75 to 7:45 in Excel, preserve totals above 24 hours, and avoid confusing decimal fractions with minutes.

Timesheet Control Totals: Reconcile Before Import

Use row counts, employee totals and exception checks to reconcile a timesheet export before importing it into another system.

4×10 vs 5×8 Schedules: Compare Hours and Coverage

Compare four 10-hour days with five 8-hour days using a coverage example, break assumptions and a practical scheduling checklist.

Excel Timesheet Template: Build a Sheet With Breaks and Weekly Totals

Build an Excel timesheet with date-and-time entries, unpaid breaks, decimal hours and weekly totals. Copy the layout and check the worked examples.

Google Sheets Timesheet: Build a Tracker With Breaks and Weekly Totals

Build a Google Sheets timesheet with validation, unpaid breaks and employee-by-week totals. Copy the formulas and check overnight and incomplete entries.

Shift Differential Pay: Formula and Examples

Calculate flat and percentage shift premiums and understand how eligible hours affect estimated gross pay.

Biweekly Payroll Calendars and Three-Paycheck Months

Generate biweekly payday dates, understand 26-paycheck years and identify months with a third payday.

Biweekly vs. Semimonthly Pay: 26 vs. 24 Paychecks

Compare biweekly and semimonthly payroll dates, paycheck amounts, hours, three-paycheck months and PTO accrual using a clear 26-versus-24 table.

Find Your Three-Paycheck Months

Generate every fourteen-day payday from one confirmed anchor, then group the dates by month. A month with three generated dates is a three-paycheck month.

Monthly Paydays When the Month Has Fewer Days

For an anchor on the 29th, 30th or 31st, the generator uses the final day of a shorter month rather than omitting that month’s payday.

Check a Payroll Calendar Before Sharing It

Validate the frequency, anchor date and exception rules before sharing a payroll calendar. A repeating date generator cannot know your employer's payment policy.

Three-Paycheck Months in 2027: Friday Dates & Calendar

Find your three-paycheck months in 2027. Compare both Friday pay cycles, view every scheduled payday and check how holiday adjustments affect your calendar.

Pay Period vs Pay Date: Why They Are Not the Same

Understand pay periods, pay dates and payroll deadlines. Follow a worked calendar example and learn which dates to use when checking a payment.

How to Convert Salary to Hourly Pay with the Right Baseline

Choose weekly hours and paid weeks before converting salary to hourly pay. Compare part-time schedules, monthly salary and unpaid leave with worked examples.

When Does a Year Have 27 Biweekly Paydays?

Count biweekly paydays from a verified anchor date and see why a year can contain 27 scheduled dates instead of 26.

How to Count 53 Weekly Paydays in a Year

Identify years with 53 occurrences of your weekly payday and distinguish scheduled dates from adjusted payment dates.

Count Workdays in a Semimonthly Pay Period

Count scheduled weekdays in each half of a month and see why two semimonthly periods can contain different numbers of work hours.

Build a Payroll Cutoff and Approval Calendar

Work backward from payday to map submission, approval and correction deadlines, with a clear example and exception checks.

Payroll Holidays: What Happens When Payday Falls on a Bank Holiday?

Check holiday paydays, ACH processing and payroll cutoffs. Work through an earlier-payment example without confusing bank closures with leave entitlement.

Weighted Average Overtime: How to Calculate Pay With Multiple Hourly Rates

Calculate a weighted regular rate from multiple hourly rates, then add the overtime premium once. Includes a two-rate example and common payroll errors.

Payroll in Arrears Explained: Pay Periods, Paydays, and Your First Paycheck

Understand payroll in arrears with a dated first-paycheck example. Separate normal payment lag, partial periods and overdue wages.

Prorated Salary: Calculate Pay for a Partial Month or Pay Period

Calculate prorated salary using matching pay and time bases. Compare workday and calendar-day examples and check partial-week salary restrictions.

Rotating Shift Schedules: Patterns, Hours and Calendars

Understand how repeating shift rotations work and generate a calendar from a pattern and cycle start date.

2-2-3 Schedule: A 14-Day Work and Rest Calendar

A common 2-2-3 work/rest cycle is two workdays, two rest days, three workdays, two rest days, two workdays and three rest days.

4 On, 4 Off: Hours, Weekends and Calendar Drift

Four on, four off repeats every eight days. At twelve hours per workday, it averages 42 scheduled hours per seven-day week.

DuPont Schedule: Reading a 28-Day Work/Rest Cycle

The work/rest version modeled here uses 4 work, 3 rest, 3 work, 1 rest, 3 work, 3 rest, 4 work and 7 rest days.

Productive Hours vs Scheduled Hours: Formula and Example

Compare productive and scheduled hours with a worked capacity example. Calculate availability after shrinkage and avoid counting leave or breaks twice.

9/80 Schedule: Build and Check a Two-Week Calendar

Map eight 9-hour days and one 8-hour day across two weeks, verify the 80-hour total, and check coverage on the recurring day off.

6 On, 3 Off Schedule: Hours and Calendar Rotation

Calculate the average hours of a 6-on, 3-off cycle, understand rotating weekdays, and count actual shifts in a calendar month.

Calculate Shift Handover Overlap Hours

Measure handover person-hours, distinguish extra staffing from existing overlap, and check whether handovers reduce active service coverage.

What Is a Swing Shift? Typical Hours and Schedule Examples

Understand swing shift hours, compare fixed evening and rotating assignments, and calculate shift duration, breaks and differential pay.

Kelly Schedule Explained: Workdays, Days Off, and Cycle Hours

Read a nine-day Kelly schedule, calculate 72 cycle hours and a 56-hour weekly average, and distinguish the rotation from a separate Kelly day.

24-On, 48-Off Schedule: Calendar Examples and Average Weekly Hours

9/80 vs. 4/10: Compare Hours, Days Off, and Coverage

Check a Weekly Employee Roster Before Publishing

Employee Shift Schedule Template: A Practical Weekly Layout

Shift Bidding Explained: Employee Preferences and Coverage Checks

PTO Accrual Explained: Rates, Balances and Projections

Understand accrual per pay period, hourly accrual, carryover, caps and future PTO balances.

Biweekly PTO Accrual Calculator, Formula and Examples

Calculate PTO earned every two weeks using 26 pay periods, with examples for 80, 120 and 160 annual hours plus rounding and 27-payday-year notes.

PTO Caps and Carryover: Why a Simple Projection Can Differ

Carryover adds an opening balance; a balance cap limits what can be held. A cap applied after every accrual can differ from one applied only at the end.

Convert PTO Hours to Days for Your Shift Length

Divide available PTO hours by the hours charged for one absence day. Forty-eight hours equals six eight-hour days or four twelve-hour days.

Why PTO Transaction Order Changes a Capped Balance

An accrual cap applies when hours are earned. Leave taken before that event creates room; leave taken afterward does not restore accrual already blocked.

How to Reconcile Your PTO Balance: Ledger and Example

Reconcile a PTO balance using opening hours, accruals, leave and adjustments. Follow a worked ledger example and find the first transaction that differs.

Calculate PTO Accrual from Hours Worked

For an hourly accrual policy, multiply eligible hours by the PTO earned per eligible hour. Use the eligible-hour definition and rate from your employer's policy.

PTO for a Partial Pay Period: Two Calculation Methods

Partial-period PTO depends on the accrual method. An hourly policy uses eligible hours; a fixed-period policy may use a specified proration rule or no proration at all.

PTO Accrual Rate Chart: Per Hour and Pay Period

Compare PTO hours earned weekly, biweekly, semimonthly, monthly and per hour for common annual allowances.

How to Check Your PTO Accrual Rate from a Pay Stub

Reconstruct an observed hourly PTO rate, distinguish earned hours from a balance, and investigate differences without assuming the policy is wrong.

How to Calculate Whether You Will Have Enough PTO for a Trip

Work out the PTO hours your trip needs, count remaining accrual credits, and check caps, planned leave and approval timing before relying on a balance estimate.

PTO Balance: Earned, Booked and Available Hours

Separate earned PTO from approved future bookings, calculate an uncommitted balance, and avoid subtracting the same request twice.

PTO Accrual Rate Changes Midyear: Split the Calculation

Calculate a PTO projection when the accrual rate changes, separate old and new periods, and check the effective date before prorating.

Forecast PTO When Weekly Hours Vary

Build low, expected and high PTO forecasts from variable eligible hours, then check whether the projected balance covers planned leave.

Front-Loaded vs Accrued PTO: Compare the Balances

Compare when PTO becomes available under front-loaded and gradual accrual models, using the same 120-hour annual amount.

PTO vs. Vacation: How Separate and Combined Leave Banks Work

Compare combined PTO with separate vacation and sick banks using equal-hour examples. Check usable vacation time, accrual, carryover and policy limits.

PTO vs. Sick Time: Which Balance Should You Use?

Identify which leave bank applies to an absence, calculate the hours to deduct, and avoid charging both PTO and sick time for the same interval.

FTE Workforce Planning: From Workload to Scheduled Staff

Convert workload hours into productive FTEs and adjust for meetings, training, leave and other shrinkage.

Staffing Shrinkage Formula: Required Hours and FTE

Calculate staffing with shrinkage: divide productive demand by 1 minus the shrinkage rate, then convert hours to FTE. Includes examples and common mistakes.

FTE vs. Headcount: Calculator, Formula and Examples

Calculate FTE versus headcount from full-time and part-time hours. Compare the formula, 40-hour and 37.5-hour examples, and planning uses.

Calculate Weekly Coverage Hours Before Estimating Staff

Multiply simultaneous positions by operating hours. Two continuously occupied positions across a 24/7 week require 336 productive coverage hours.

Turn Working Days into a Monthly Capacity Budget

Multiply working days by scheduled paid hours, then subtract separately identified unavailable time. Keep scheduled capacity distinct from productive capacity.

Why Enough Staff Hours Can Still Leave Coverage Gaps

Total staffing hours measure volume. Coverage measures whether enough people are available at the specific times demand occurs; surplus at one time cannot fill a gap later.

Plan Break Coverage Without Double-Counting Staff

Represent each employee’s available work segments separately. Remove uncovered breaks from the roster before checking whether the simultaneous staffing target is met.

Calculate FTE for a Team of Full-Time and Part-Time Employees

Add each group's scheduled weekly hours, then divide the total by one consistent full-time baseline. Count people separately: capacity and headcount answer different questions.

Calculate a Staffing Capacity Gap Before Adding Headcount

A capacity gap is required hours minus available hours measured on the same basis. A positive number is a shortfall; a negative number is a surplus.

FTE Percentage to Hours: 0.5, 0.8 and 0.9 FTE Chart

Convert an FTE percentage to weekly and annual hours using 40-hour, 37.5-hour and 35-hour full-time baselines.

FTE to Headcount Conversion: Formula, Limits and Examples

Estimate headcount from an FTE requirement using average scheduled FTE per person, and understand why FTE alone cannot determine an exact roster.

How to Compare FTE Before and After a Schedule Change

Check the hours gained and lost when a team changes schedules, with a worked example and a coverage review checklist.

What Counts as 1.0 FTE? Comparing 2,080, 2,000 and 1,950 Hours

Compare 2,080, 2,000 and 1,950-hour FTE baselines. Learn why scheduled hours, productive capacity and reporting definitions must stay distinct.

Budgeted FTE vs Actual FTE: Why They Diverge

Reconcile budgeted and actual FTE using matching hours and baselines. Separate vacancies, schedule changes, timing and productive capacity.

How Many FTE Do You Need to Cover One 24/7 Position?

Calculate the 168 weekly coverage hours for one 24/7 position, then model FTE, relief, handovers and the limits of an aggregate staffing estimate.

Meeting Load and Its Effect on Productive Capacity

Calculate meeting attendee-hours and their effect on capacity. Compare scenarios without confusing released time with guaranteed output gains.

Calculate Staffing from Work Volume and Handling Time

Turn task volumes and average handling times into workload hours, then compare them with productive capacity without double-counting shrinkage.

Measure the Capacity Impact of a Vacant Role

Estimate scheduled and productive hours lost to a vacancy, include temporary cover, and distinguish capacity gaps from salary savings.

New-Hire Training: Model the Capacity Ramp

Estimate a new hire’s contribution during onboarding, subtract mentor time once, and compare a weekly ramp with full-capacity assumptions.

Check Shift Coverage by Skill, Not Just Headcount

Build a skill coverage check that respects simultaneous duties, avoids counting one person twice, and exposes gaps hidden by total headcount.

Absenteeism Rate: Calculate Missed Work as a Percentage of Scheduled Time

Employee Turnover Rate: Formula, Examples, and Monthly vs. Annual Calculations

Employee Utilization Rate: Choose the Right Hours and Calculate the Percentage