Work Hours & Overtime
Work Hours Calculator
Calculate hours worked, overtime and weekly gross pay.
Your time card calculator for any roster. Enter shift times, deduct unpaid breaks, flag overtime against the 38-hour NES baseline, and see weekly gross pay.
Work Hours
Mon is standard; Sun for US-style rosters.
Enter your actual hourly rate (casual rates usually already include 25% loading).
Shifts this week
Work Hours Summary
Gross weekly pay
$1,125
37.5 hrs net · no overtime above 38 hrs threshold
Hours worked
- Total
- 37.5 hrs
| Day | Start | End | Break | Net | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Monday | 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 hrs | $225 |
Tuesday | 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 hrs | $225 |
Wednesday | 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 hrs | $225 |
Thursday | 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 hrs | $225 |
Friday | 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 7.5 hrs | $225 |
| Totals | — | 2.5 hrs | 37.5 hrs | $1,125 | |
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How this work hours calculator works
Each shift is calculated individually
For every day you enter, the calculator measures the time between start and finish, deducts the unpaid break, and stores both gross and net hours. All shifts are then summed into a weekly total shown in the daily breakdown.
Overnight shifts are handled automatically
If a shift ends after midnight, simply enter the next-day finish time. When the end time is earlier than the start time, the tool treats it as an overnight shift and adds 24 hours before calculating the duration.
Overtime is a planning estimate
The overtime result is based on the weekly threshold and multiplier you choose. Under the Fair Work Act 2009, the ordinary-hours limit is 38 hours per week plus reasonable additional hours. Your award or enterprise agreement may set daily overtime triggers, penalty rates for weekends and public holidays, or different multiplier stacking rules. Confirm the specifics with your award or payroll system before relying on this result for pay decisions.
Australian standard work hours
In Australia, the National Employment Standards (NES) set the maximum at 38 ordinary hours per week for full-time employees, plus any reasonable additional hours required by the employer. That is why this calculator defaults the weekly overtime threshold to 38 hours.
"Reasonable additional hours" is not a fixed number — it depends on the employee's role, the needs of the business, and any relevant Modern Award or enterprise agreement. Many awards also set daily overtime thresholds (for example, any hours beyond 7.6 per day may attract overtime) rather than relying solely on the weekly total. Use this calculator as a quick hours-worked and overtime estimator, then confirm the exact pay rules in your award or via the Fair Work Ombudsman before relying on the figures for payroll or dispute resolution.
Penalty rates, casual loading, and public holidays
Australian Modern Awards typically pay more than the base rate for work performed outside ordinary hours. The most common loadings and penalties are listed below — exact percentages vary by award, so confirm yours via Fair Work Ombudsman penalty rates or the relevant Modern Award.
Casual loading (typically 25%)
Casual employees usually receive a 25% loading on top of the base rate in lieu of paid leave. If you are casual, enter your full casual rate (base × 1.25) into the hourly rate field rather than the base award rate.
Overtime (commonly 1.5× / 2×)
Many awards pay time-and-a-half (1.5×) for the first two or three overtime hours in a day, then double time (2×) after that. Use the multiplier selector to match the rate in your award.
Public holiday (often 2.5×)
Public holidays are commonly paid at double time and a half (2.5×) for permanent staff and higher again for casuals. To check a public holiday shift, enter 2.5 as the multiplier and set the threshold to 0 so all hours are penalty-priced.
Weekend and shift penalties
Saturday work is often 1.25× or 1.5×, Sunday 1.5× or 2×, with extra loadings for late-night, early-morning, or rostered night shifts. These vary widely between awards — check the specific clauses applicable to you.
This calculator applies a single multiplier above your weekly threshold. For shifts that combine multiple penalties (for example, Saturday overtime), calculate each category separately or use the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay calculator for the exact compounded figure.
Converting hours to decimal time
Payroll systems typically express time in decimal hours rather than hours and minutes. To convert, divide the minutes by 60. For example, 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 decimal hours; 8 hours 45 minutes is 8.75 hours. This calculator displays results in both formats — the daily breakdown shows hours and minutes, while the summary and gross pay figures use decimal hours for easy payroll entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours is full-time in Australia?
For most employees, full-time work in Australia is an average of 38 ordinary hours per week under the National Employment Standards (NES). An employer can also request reasonable additional hours beyond 38 — what counts as reasonable depends on the nature of the role, the employee's personal circumstances, and any relevant Modern Award or enterprise agreement. The NES sets the maximum at 38 ordinary hours plus reasonable additional hours; it does not cap total hours at 38.
How do I calculate hours worked from start and end times?
Subtract the start time from the end time, then deduct any unpaid meal or rest break. For example, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute unpaid break equals 8.0 net hours worked. In decimal form that same shift is 8.0 hours — if the break were 45 minutes, the result would be 7.75 hours. This calculator does that arithmetic automatically for every shift you enter and sums them into a weekly total, so you can check an entire roster in one pass.
What is the standard overtime rate in Australia?
There is no single national overtime rate. The rate depends on your Modern Award or enterprise agreement. Many awards use time-and-a-half (1.5×) for the first two or three overtime hours and double time (2×) after that — but the threshold and multiplier vary. Some awards also distinguish between weekday overtime, Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday rates. Use the multiplier selector in this calculator to match the applicable rate, then confirm the exact figure with your employer or the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Does this calculator handle overnight shifts?
Yes. If your shift ends after midnight, enter the next-day finish time exactly as it appears on your roster — for example, 2:00 AM for a shift that started at 10:00 PM the evening before. When the calculator detects that the end time is earlier than the start time, it adds 24 hours to the duration before computing net hours. Multi-night shifts spanning more than 24 hours should be split into separate day entries for accurate results.
How is weekly overtime calculated?
The calculator sums net hours across every shift entered for the week. If the weekly total exceeds your overtime threshold — which defaults to 38 hours, the NES ordinary-hours baseline — all hours above that figure are counted as overtime. Those hours are then priced at your chosen multiplier to produce a gross overtime pay estimate. Because award rules, roster patterns, daily overtime triggers, and paid break arrangements all vary, treat the result as a planning estimate and confirm the specifics with your payroll team or award before using it for pay decisions.
What is casual loading and does it affect my hours calculation?
Casual employees in Australia are generally paid a 25% casual loading in lieu of paid leave entitlements such as annual leave and personal leave. This calculator does not apply casual loading automatically — it multiplies hours by whichever hourly rate you enter. If you are a casual employee, enter your full casual rate (base rate plus 25% loading) to get an accurate gross pay estimate. For example, if your base rate is $25.00/hr, your casual rate is $31.25/hr — enter that figure to see correct weekly earnings.
Can I use this calculator to check penalty rates?
The overtime multiplier field accepts any value — enter 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, or a custom figure to match a penalty rate from your Modern Award. For example, to check a Saturday rate enter 1.5; for a public holiday rate enter 2.5. The calculator applies the multiplier to all hours above the weekly threshold. It does not automatically model compounding rates (such as overtime stacked on top of a Saturday penalty), so for complex rosters with multiple penalty categories, calculate each category separately or use the Fair Work Ombudsman's pay calculator.
How do I convert hours and minutes to decimal hours?
Divide the minutes portion by 60 and add it to the hours. For example, 7 hours 30 minutes is 7 + (30 ÷ 60) = 7.5 decimal hours; 8 hours 45 minutes is 8.75 hours; 6 hours 15 minutes is 6.25 hours. Decimal hours are the standard input format for most Australian payroll systems and award-rate calculations because they let you multiply directly by an hourly rate without converting minutes separately. This calculator displays the weekly summary in decimal hours and the per-shift breakdown in both formats so you can copy whichever your payroll team needs.
Can I save or print my weekly timesheet?
This calculator runs entirely in your browser — no data is sent to a server. Your shift entries and settings are automatically saved to your browser's local storage and will reload the next time you visit on the same device. To clear saved data, use the 'Clear saved data' link below the input form. To save your timesheet as a document, use your browser's Print menu (Ctrl+P on Windows, ⌘+P on Mac) and choose 'Save as PDF' or send it directly to a printer. For shared timesheets or payroll submission, copy the weekly total and daily breakdown into the timesheet your employer requires.
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