Quick answer: To fill out a time card, follow these five steps:
- Write your name, employee ID and the pay period dates.
- For each day, record the exact time you started work, left for an unpaid meal break, returned and finished.
- Subtract to get the hours worked each day.
- Convert the minutes to decimal hours (minutes ÷ 60).
- Add the days together, separate any overtime, then sign and submit the card.
Example: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch = 8.0 hours.
Want to skip the math? Enter your times into our free time card calculator. It totals each day and the week, deducts breaks and exports a printable time card.
What is a time card?
A time card, also called a timesheet or time sheet, is a record of the hours an employee works during a pay period. Employers use it to calculate pay, including overtime. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must keep accurate records of the hours non-exempt employees work each workday and each workweek.
Time cards come in several forms:
- Paper cards stamped by a punch clock.
- Handwritten weekly or biweekly timesheets.
- Spreadsheets.
- Time clock apps and kiosks.
The steps below work for all of them.
What’s on a typical time card
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Employee name and ID | Your full name as it appears in payroll, and your employee number |
| Pay period | Start and end dates, for example Sept 28 to Oct 4 |
| Department or job code | If you work in more than one role or location |
| Date / day | Each day you worked |
| Time in | When you started work |
| Meal out / meal in | When your unpaid meal break started and ended |
| Time out | When you stopped work |
| Daily total | Hours worked that day |
| Leave codes | PTO, sick, holiday or unpaid leave, if your employer tracks them here |
| Weekly totals | Regular hours, overtime hours and total hours |
| Signatures | Employee and supervisor, if your employer requires them |
How to fill out a time card, step by step
Step 1: Fill in your details and the pay period
Enter your name, employee ID and the exact pay period dates. Check which day your employer’s workweek starts on (for example, Sunday or Monday). Overtime is calculated per workweek, so each day must be recorded in the correct week.
Step 2: Record your times as you go
Write down your start time, meal break start and end, and finish time each day, when they happen. Don’t wait until the end of the week. Use exact times such as 7:52 AM rather than estimates, and always include AM or PM.
Some employers prefer 24-hour (military) time, which avoids AM/PM mix-ups. For example, 1:30 PM is written as 13:30.
Step 3: Calculate hours worked for each day
For each work period, subtract the start time from the end time, then add the periods together:
Daily hours = (Meal out − Time in) + (Time out − Meal in)
The easiest way to subtract times is to convert them to 24-hour time first. If the ending minutes are smaller than the starting minutes, borrow one hour (60 minutes).
Example: In at 7:48, out at 16:15. 16:15 becomes 15:75, and 15:75 − 7:48 = 8 hours 27 minutes.
Step 4: Convert minutes to decimal hours
Payroll multiplies hours by your pay rate, so minutes must be converted to decimals: decimal hours = minutes ÷ 60. For example, 8 hours 27 minutes = 8 + (27 ÷ 60) = 8.45 hours. A common mistake is writing 8.27. Use the chart below or our minutes to decimal converter.
| Minutes | Decimal | Minutes | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 0.08 | 35 | 0.58 |
| 10 | 0.17 | 40 | 0.67 |
| 15 | 0.25 | 45 | 0.75 |
| 20 | 0.33 | 50 | 0.83 |
| 25 | 0.42 | 55 | 0.92 |
| 30 | 0.50 | 60 | 1.00 |
Step 5: Add up the week and separate overtime
Add all daily totals for the workweek. Under federal law, hours over 40 in a workweek are overtime, paid at 1.5 times your regular rate. Some states, such as California, also count daily overtime. If your pay period is two weeks, total each week separately. See how to calculate overtime for details.
Step 6: Review, sign and submit
Check every entry and total, make sure nothing is missing, then sign and submit by your employer’s deadline. Keep a copy or photo for your own records.
Time card example: a full week
Sam earns $18 per hour and takes a 30-minute unpaid lunch most days. Here is Sam’s completed time card for one week:
| Day | Time in | Meal out | Meal in | Time out | Hours (h:mm) | Decimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| Tue | 7:55 AM | 12:05 PM | 12:35 PM | 4:35 PM | 8:10 | 8.17 |
| Wed | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | 6:00 PM | 9:30 | 9.50 |
| Thu | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | 12:30 PM | 4:30 PM | 8:00 | 8.00 |
| Fri | 8:00 AM | — | — | 1:15 PM | 5:15 | 5.25 |
| Total | 38:55 | 38.92 | ||||
Sam worked 38 hours 55 minutes. That is under 40, so there is no overtime. Gross pay: 38 × $18 = $684, plus 55/60 × $18 = $16.50, for a total of $700.50.
Note that the week total was calculated from the exact minutes, not from the rounded daily decimals. Rounding each day to two decimals first can shift the total by a cent or two.
Special situations
Breaks: which ones to record
- Short rest breaks (typically 5 to 20 minutes) count as paid working time under federal law. Don’t deduct them.
- Meal breaks of 30 minutes or more are usually unpaid if you are completely relieved of duty. Record when they start and end so they can be deducted.
- If you eat at your desk while answering phones or watching a register, that time is generally work time and must be paid. Tell your supervisor, and note it on your card.
Overnight shifts
Record the shift on the date it started, unless your employer tells you otherwise. To calculate hours, add 24 to the end time. For example, 10:00 PM to 6:30 AM is 22:00 to 30:30, which is 8 hours 30 minutes. Subtract a 30-minute unpaid meal and you get 8.0 hours.
If a shift crosses into a new workweek, the hours after the workweek boundary count toward the new week.
Split shifts and multiple jobs
Record each in/out pair separately and add them together. If you work different roles at different pay rates, write the job code next to each period so payroll can apply the right rate.
Time rounding
Federal rules let employers round recorded times to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth of an hour or quarter hour, as long as rounding averages out over time and doesn’t consistently underpay employees. With quarter-hour rounding (often called the “7-minute rule”):
- 1 to 7 minutes round down.
- 8 to 14 minutes round up.
- For example, 8:07 becomes 8:00 and 8:08 becomes 8:15.
Some states, including California, restrict rounding in certain situations. Always write your actual times; applying any rounding is your employer’s job. Read more in our guide to time card rounding.
Paid time off and holidays
Enter PTO, sick or holiday hours in the leave column or with your employer’s code, not as worked hours. Under federal law, hours not worked do not count toward overtime.
Common time card mistakes
- Filling it out from memory at the end of the week. Record times daily.
- Treating minutes as decimals. 7 hours 45 minutes is 7.75, not 7.45.
- Missing AM/PM, which makes a 9-hour day look like a 21-hour day.
- Deducting short paid breaks or forgetting to deduct unpaid meal breaks.
- Leaving out work done off the clock, such as opening tasks, required meetings or closing duties. All of it should be recorded and paid.
- Adding two weeks together before checking for overtime.
Free time card templates
Prefer paper or a spreadsheet? Download our free printable time card, Excel timesheet or Google Sheets timesheet. The spreadsheet versions total daily and weekly hours for you.
Frequently asked questions
Do I write down my lunch break on my time card?
Yes. Record the time you leave for an unpaid meal break and the time you return, so those minutes can be deducted. Short paid rest breaks usually don’t need to be recorded separately unless your employer asks you to.
What if I forgot to clock in or out?
Tell your supervisor as soon as possible and follow your employer’s missed-punch procedure. This is often a correction form that you and your supervisor both sign. Write the accurate time you actually started or stopped.
Can my employer change my time card?
Employers can correct genuine errors, but the final record must reflect the hours you actually worked. Editing time cards to remove hours that were worked is not allowed under the FLSA. If you believe your hours were changed incorrectly, keep your own records and raise it with HR, your state labor department or the U.S. Department of Labor.
Do I have to sign my time card?
Federal law doesn’t require an employee signature, but many employers do. Signing confirms the hours are accurate, so only sign a card that matches the time you worked.
How long do employers keep time cards?
Under federal rules, employers must keep time cards and other records used to calculate wages for at least 2 years, and payroll records for at least 3 years. Some states require longer. It’s a good idea to keep your own copies too.
What’s the difference between a time card and a timesheet?
The terms are often used interchangeably. A time card traditionally records clock-in and clock-out times, often stamped by a punch clock. A timesheet may also show hours by project or task. Both are used to calculate pay.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #21: Recordkeeping Requirements under the FLSA
- U.S. Department of Labor, Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked under the FLSA
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 785.18: Rest periods and 785.19: Meal periods
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 785.48: Use of time clocks
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR Part 516: Records to be kept by employers
This guide provides general information about U.S. timekeeping rules and is not legal advice. Your employer’s policies and your state’s laws may add requirements. For questions about your pay, contact your employer, your state labor department or a qualified professional.
