Four ten-hour days is exactly 40 hours — and zero overtime, or eight hours of it, depending on where you work. US federal law counts past 40 in a week; California and several other states count past 8 in a day. That is $100 on a $25 rate for identical work, and no other time card calculator lets you choose.
Time Card Calculator
Live| Day | In | Out | Break | Hours |
|---|
Daily or weekly — the rule changes the pay
Overtime is not one rule. Federal law under the Fair Labor Standards Act counts hours past 40 in a workweek. Several states count hours past 8 in a workday as well, and pay whichever produces more:
| Week worked | Federal — past 40/week | Daily — past 8/day | Difference at $25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 × 10 hours 40 hours total | 40 base, 0 overtime $1,000 | 32 base, 8 overtime $1,100 | +$100 |
| 4 × 12 hours 48 hours total | 40 base, 8 overtime $1,300 | 32 base, 16 overtime $1,400 | +$100 |
| 5 × 8 hours 40 hours total | 40 base, 0 overtime $1,000 | 40 base, 0 overtime $1,000 | Identical |
Compressed weeks are where the two rules separate. Four ten-hour days and five eight-hour days are the same 40 hours; under a daily rule the first costs the employer 10% more. That is the whole reason the daily rule exists — it prices the burden of a long day rather than a long week.
What the rules say, roughly
| Rule | Threshold | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly overtime | Past 40 hours a week | US federal minimum, everywhere. The floor no state can go below |
| Daily overtime | Past 8 hours a day | California, Alaska, Nevada and Colorado among others, with local variations |
| Double time | Past 12 hours a day | California. Rare elsewhere in US law, common in collective agreements |
| Seventh consecutive day | The whole day | California: time and a half for the first 8 hours, double after |
| Exempt roles | No overtime at all | Salaried roles meeting duties and salary tests. Job title alone does not decide it |
These are summaries and not a substitute for reading your own rules. Whether a role is exempt is decided by duties and salary level, not by a job title or by being paid a salary, and misclassification is one of the most common wage disputes there is.
Rounding, and when it is allowed
US federal regulations permit rounding recorded time to the quarter hour, provided it is neutral — it must average out rather than always favour the employer:
| Minutes past a quarter | Rounds | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 7 | Down | 09:07 becomes 09:00 |
| 8 to 14 | Up | 09:08 becomes 09:15 |
Rounding each day and rounding the weekly total are not the same. Five shifts rounded individually can differ from the rounded total by more than an hour across a week. This calculator rounds each day, which is what most timekeeping systems do — but it is worth knowing which yours uses.
Common mistakes
Frequently asked questions
Is overtime calculated daily or weekly?
Both exist. US federal law counts hours past 40 in a week; California, Alaska, Nevada and others also count hours past 8 in a day and pay whichever gives more. On four ten-hour days that is the difference between zero overtime and eight hours of it — $100 on a $25 rate for identical work.
Do daily and weekly overtime add together?
No. They are alternatives — an hour already paid as daily overtime does not count again towards the weekly 40. Where both rules apply you take whichever total is higher, which is what the “both” option above does. Adding them overstates the pay.
How do I record a shift that crosses midnight?
On the day it started, as a single entry. Enter 22:00 and 06:00 on the same row and the calculator works out eight hours rather than a negative. Splitting it across two rows turns one shift into two short ones and can lose the overtime altogether.
Should the lunch break be deducted?
Only if it was actually taken and you were genuinely relieved of duty. Short breaks under 20 minutes count as paid working time under US federal rules, and eating at a desk while covering the phone is working. Enter zero on days you worked through.
What is double time?
Twice the base rate, applied in California to hours past 12 in a day and to hours past 8 on a seventh consecutive workday. It is rare in US law outside California, though common in collective agreements elsewhere.
Am I entitled to overtime at all?
It depends on whether your role is classified exempt, which is decided by duties and salary level rather than by job title or by being paid a salary. Misclassification is among the most common wage disputes there is, and worth checking against the actual tests rather than assuming.
Can my employer round my hours?
Yes, to the quarter hour, provided the rounding is neutral over time — minutes 1 to 7 down and 8 to 14 up. Rounding that only ever runs down is not permitted. If your card is consistently short after rounding, that is worth raising.
Is my data stored?
No. Everything runs in your browser with no server request, and works offline once the page has loaded. Nothing is written to disk and nothing persists after you close the tab — which also means the card is gone if you refresh, so copy or print it before you leave.
Related calculators
See the full list of Date & Time calculators, or try:
- Time Duration Calculator — a single shift in detail
- Overtime Calculator — premium hours on their own
- Hours Calculator — the conversion by itself
- Salary Calculator — every pay period converted
- Salary to Hourly — the other direction
- Business Days Calculator — working days in a range