Guide / multiple shifts
Adding two shifts in one day
One time-card row has one start, one end and one unpaid-break value. If you work two separate periods on the same day, first decide whether the time between them is genuinely off duty. When it is, you can represent both periods as one span and subtract the off-duty gap.
A split shift with four hours off
Suppose you work 07:00–11:00 and 15:00–19:00. The first segment is 4:00 and the second is 4:00, so the total is 8:00. For a single row, choose 07:00 as the start and 19:00 as the end, then enter 240 unpaid minutes for the 11:00–15:00 gap. The 12:00 elapsed span minus 4:00 gives 8:00 worked. Add any other genuinely unpaid breaks to that 240-minute figure.
| Segment | Elapsed | Worked if no other break |
|---|---|---|
| 07:00–11:00 | 4:00 | 4:00 |
| 11:00–15:00 off duty | 4:00 | 0:00 |
| 15:00–19:00 | 4:00 | 4:00 |
When a single row is a poor fit
Do not subtract a gap if you remained on duty, were required to wait, or performed work during it. Different jobs or rates also need separate records; the calculator’s one hourly-rate field cannot correctly estimate mixed-rate pay. If one segment crosses midnight or a fixed workweek boundary, keep the underlying punches and calculate the affected workweeks separately before comparing overtime.
Check the result before exporting
Write the original four punches beside your saved CSV or copied summary. The exported row shows the combined span and break deduction, not both underlying segments, so it cannot replace an employer’s full punch record. The time-card review checklist helps compare your source record with payroll.