Free tool
Payroll time rounding calculator
Enter a punch in and punch out and see the paid hours under a rounding rule.
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How it works
How it works
Each punch is rounded to the nearest increment of the rule you pick, then the unpaid break is taken off. A punch exactly halfway between two increments rounds up. Compare the result with the actual time worked to see the effect.
Example: punching in at 8:53 and out at 5:08 PM with a 30 minute break is 7 hours and 45 minutes worked. Under quarter-hour rounding the punches become 9:00 and 5:15, which is still 7 hours and 45 minutes. A night shift from 10:02 PM to 6:05 AM is 8 hours and 3 minutes worked, but under 6-minute rounding the punches become 10:00 PM and 6:06 AM, which pays 8.1 hours. Rounding can move pay up or down by a few minutes each shift.
FAQ
About this calculator
Is time rounding allowed?
In the United States, federal rules generally allow rounding to the nearest tenth, quarter or half hour if the method is neutral and does not mostly favor the employer over time. Some states are stricter, so check the Department of Labor and your state agency, and ask an employment lawyer or accountant before you set a policy.
What is the 7-minute rule?
It is the quarter-hour rule written another way: punches within 7 minutes after a quarter hour round down, and 8 minutes or more round up.
Why use 6 minutes?
Six minutes is a tenth of an hour, so rounded times convert neatly to decimal hours.
Does this work for overnight shifts?
Yes. If the clock out is earlier than the clock in, it is treated as the next day.
Is anything saved?
No. The math runs in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to us.
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General information, not tax or legal advice. How we write and check our tools.
Rounding charts
These charts show where each minute past the hour lands. A punch exactly halfway between two marks rounds up.
Nearest quarter hour (the 7-minute rule)
| Minutes past the hour | Rounds to |
|---|---|
| 0 to 7 | :00 |
| 8 to 22 | :15 |
| 23 to 37 | :30 |
| 38 to 52 | :45 |
| 53 to 59 | :00 (next hour) |
Nearest tenth of an hour (6 minutes)
| Minutes past the hour | Rounds to |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | :00 |
| 3 to 8 | :06 |
| 9 to 14 | :12 |
| 15 to 20 | :18 |
| 21 to 26 | :24 |
| 27 to 32 | :30 |
| 33 to 38 | :36 |
| 39 to 44 | :42 |
| 45 to 50 | :48 |
| 51 to 56 | :54 |
| 57 to 59 | :00 (next hour) |
Nearest 5 minutes
Minutes 0 to 2 round down to the mark, 3 and 4 round up to the next five, and the pattern repeats each five minutes.
Keep the method fair
Rounding should be neutral. A rule that always rounds the employee's time down is the kind that draws claims. Apply the same rule to every punch, write the rule in your policy, and check your state's rules and the U.S. Department of Labor guidance, or ask an employment lawyer or payroll provider, before you adopt it.