Free toolsPayroll hours
Payroll hours calculator for small teams
Clock-in and clock-out times, unpaid breaks and an optional rate, turned into worked hours and a gross estimate. Overnight shifts included.
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Worked examples
Worked hours19.25h
Gross estimate£242.63
Shifts3
19.25 h from 3 shifts, after 60 min of unpaid breaks, 2 past midnight
How payroll hours are worked out
Six steps, shown on one real-looking shift: Grace's Friday close, 16:30 to 00:15 with a 30-minute unpaid break at £12.50 an hour.
Take the time from clock-in to clock-out.
16:30 → 00:15
If the finish is earlier than the start, the shift ran past midnight, so count on into the next day.
7h 45m, past midnight
Take off the unpaid break. A break can’t be longer than the shift.
− 30 min = 7h 15m
Payroll wants decimal hours, so turn the minutes into a fraction of an hour.
15 min = 0.25 h → 7.25 h
For a gross estimate, multiply by the hourly rate. There’s no tax, NI or pension in this.
7.25 × £12.50 = £90.63
Add every shift in the pay period, and settle missing clock-outs before you send it.
Friday close: 19.25 h
When it’s every week, let the clock do the sums.
In Weekola the hours come from the clock, not a calculator. Staff clock in and out on their phones, unpaid breaks come off, and you look only at the shifts that need you before exporting for payroll.
14-day trial No payment details required
- Hours worked out from real clock-ins and clock-outs
- Missed clock-outs flagged for you, never guessed
- Reviewed hours exported for your payroll provider
Or just ask Weekola Brain“Get us ready for payroll.”
Questions, answered.
Overnight shifts, unpaid breaks, gross pay and what this calculator leaves to your payroll provider.
- Free toolsAll free toolsHours, holiday, cost, rota and timesheet helpers.
- SolutionTimesheet softwareTurn attendance records into cleaner timesheets for payroll prep.
- SolutionEmployee attendance trackingTrack clock-ins and clock-outs before timesheet review.
- SolutionRota softwareKeep expected shifts connected to attendance and worked records.
- Use caseReplace Excel rota templatesMove beyond spreadsheets when rota changes and payroll-hour checks keep colliding.
How do I calculate staff hours for payroll?
Record each shift's start and finish time, account for overnight shifts, subtract unpaid breaks, then add the worked hours across the payroll period. Review exceptions before sending final figures to your payroll provider.
How do I calculate an overnight shift?
If the clock-out time is earlier than the clock-in time, treat the finish as the next day. For example, 22:00 to 02:00 is 4 hours before any unpaid break is deducted.
How do I subtract unpaid breaks from worked hours?
Calculate the total time between clock-in and clock-out, then subtract the unpaid break minutes. The break cannot be longer than the shift time.
Can this calculator estimate gross pay?
Yes. Add an optional hourly rate and the calculator will multiply worked hours by that rate to estimate gross pay for the row and total period.
Does this calculate tax or National Insurance?
No. The calculator estimates worked hours and gross pay only. It does not calculate tax, National Insurance, pensions, holiday pay, overtime rules or legal payroll obligations.
Is this a replacement for payroll software?
No. It is a practical timesheet helper for checking hours and gross pay estimates before payroll. Use your payroll provider or accountant for final payroll processing.
What if staff forget to clock out?
Flag the row, check the rota, ask the manager or employee to confirm the finish time, and keep a note of the correction before using the hours for payroll prep.
How can I avoid spreadsheet timesheet errors?
Keep clock records, corrections and reviewed totals in one workflow, avoid copying totals between files, and review exceptions before payroll. Weekola helps by connecting rotas, attendance and timesheets.
Can Weekola turn attendance into timesheets?
Yes. Weekola helps small teams prepare cleaner timesheets by connecting attendance records with rota-linked workflows for review before payroll.
Is Weekola suitable for small teams?
Yes. Weekola is built for small shift-based teams that need rota, attendance, timesheet, shift swap and leave workflows without a heavyweight HR suite.