When to use this calculator
This tool is for the everyday “I started at 9:15 and left at 5:42, minus my lunch — how much do I actually bill?” maths. It works for hourly employees reviewing a paystub, freelancers invoicing a client, a tradesperson totalling a service call, or a student tracking a part-time shift. It does the subtraction, accounts for an unpaid break, and — if you know your rate — multiplies out gross pay in CAD.
How the calculation works
- Convert the start time to minutes past midnight (hours × 60 + minutes).
- Convert the end time the same way.
- If the end time is smaller than the start time (an overnight shift), add 24 × 60 = 1440 to it.
- Subtract start from end, then subtract your break in minutes.
- Divide by 60 to get decimal hours, or split into whole hours and minutes.
For example, 09:00 to 17:30 with a 30-minute break works out to 17:30 − 09:00 = 8 h 30 m, minus 30 min break = 8.00 hours.
Understanding decimal hours
Timesheet systems almost always want decimal hours, not hours-and-minutes. 8 h 30 m becomes 8.50 hours (because 30 min ÷ 60 = 0.5). 7 h 45 m becomes 7.75 hours. Our tool shows both so you can copy whichever format your payroll system expects.
Overtime and pay rules (Canada)
This is purely an arithmetic tool — it doesn’t know whether you’re entitled to overtime on hours worked today. Canadian overtime rules depend on which jurisdiction you work in:
- Federally regulated employees (banks, telecoms, broadcasters, inter-provincial rail/air/trucking): Part III of the Canada Labour Code; 1.5× after 40 hours/week in most cases.
- Ontario: 1.5× after 44 hours/week (Employment Standards Act).
- British Columbia: 1.5× after 8 hours/day or 40 hours/week; 2× after 12 hours/day.
- Alberta: 1.5× after 8 hours/day or 44 hours/week, whichever is greater.
- Quebec: 1.5× after 40 hours/week (Act respecting labour standards).
The relevant Act of Parliament or provincial employment standards document always governs. Check your province’s employment standards site if there’s any dispute.
Gross pay vs. take-home
“Gross pay” is hours × rate, before any deductions. Your take-home pay is smaller because federal income tax, provincial income tax, Canada Pension Plan (or Quebec Pension Plan) contributions, and Employment Insurance premiums are withheld at source. For a realistic estimate, plug your gross into the CRA’s Payroll Deductions Online Calculator (PDOC) — it handles all of the above and updates with every tax year.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate hours worked between two times?
Convert both times to minutes past midnight (so 9:15 a.m. becomes 9 × 60 + 15 = 555), subtract the smaller from the larger, subtract your break in minutes, and divide the result by 60 to get hours. This calculator does that for you and also handles overnight shifts, where the end time is smaller than the start time.
Does this calculator handle overnight shifts?
Yes. If your end time is earlier than your start time — for example, you start at 22:00 and finish at 06:00 — the calculator treats the end time as the next morning and adds 24 hours to it before doing the maths.
How is gross pay calculated?
Gross pay is simply your hours worked × your hourly rate. We don’t subtract tax or CPP/EI contributions because those depend on your province, pay period and TD1 claim amount. For a take-home estimate use the Canada Revenue Agency’s payroll deductions calculator (PDOC).
What is "rounding" on a timesheet?
Many Canadian employers round punch-in / punch-out times to the nearest 5 or 15 minutes. Federally regulated employees (banking, telecoms, inter-provincial transport) are covered by Part III of the Canada Labour Code. Provincially regulated workers should check their provincial employment standards. Either way, rounding must be neutral over time — it can’t systematically benefit the employer.
Does UnityLife store my timesheet data?
No. Every calculation happens in your browser. Nothing is sent to our servers. Reload the page and the inputs are cleared.
Sources & further reading
- Government of Canada — Canada Labour Code, Part III: Hours of Work.
- Canada Revenue Agency — Payroll Deductions Online Calculator (PDOC).
- Provincial employment standards (Ontario, BC, Alberta, Quebec, etc.) — see your province’s Ministry of Labour website.