Paid breaks vs unpaid breaks
The most important distinction is whether the break is paid.
Paid break
If the break is paid, it normally stays included in your paid working hours.
For example:
09:00–17:30 = 8h 30m
If the 30-minute break is paid, the paid time remains 8.50 hours.
Unpaid break
If the break is unpaid, it is deducted from the total shift time.
For example:
- 09:00–17:30 = 8.50 hours total
- 30-minute unpaid break = 0.50 hours
Paid time:
8.50 − 0.50 = 8.00 hours
How to subtract an unpaid break from a shift
Use this simple process:
- Work out the total time from start to finish.
- Convert the unpaid break into hours if needed.
- Subtract the break from the total shift time.
- The result is your paid-hours figure.
For example:
- Shift: 09:00–18:00
- Total time: 9 hours
- Unpaid break: 45 minutes
45 minutes in decimal hours is 0.75.
So:
9.00 − 0.75 = 8.25 paid hours
Common break lengths in decimal hours
| Break length | Decimal hours |
|---|---|
| 15 minutes | 0.25 |
| 20 minutes | 0.33 |
| 30 minutes | 0.50 |
| 45 minutes | 0.75 |
| 60 minutes | 1.00 |
Twenty minutes is exactly 0.3333… hours, so it is usually shown as 0.33 when rounded to two decimal places.
For a full reference table, see the Decimal Hours Conversion Chart.
Worked examples
8-hour shift with a 30-minute unpaid break
- Shift: 08:00–16:00
- Total time: 8.00 hours
- Unpaid break: 0.50 hours
8.00 − 0.50 = 7.50 hours
So the payroll-hours figure is 7.50.
9-hour shift with a 45-minute unpaid break
- Shift: 09:00–18:00
- Total time: 9.00 hours
- Unpaid break: 0.75 hours
9.00 − 0.75 = 8.25 hours
So the payroll-hours figure is 8.25.
10-hour shift with a 1-hour unpaid break
- Shift: 07:00–17:00
- Total time: 10.00 hours
- Unpaid break: 1.00 hour
10.00 − 1.00 = 9.00 hours
So the payroll-hours figure is 9.00.
What if the break is paid?
If a break is paid, it normally stays within the paid-hours total.
For example:
- Shift: 09:00–17:30
- Total time: 8.50 hours
- Break: 30 minutes, paid
Paid hours remain 8.50.
The break is part of the paid working period, so there is nothing to subtract.
What if the break was not actually taken?
A scheduled break and a break that was actually taken are not always the same thing.
Some workplaces automatically deduct a standard break from a shift.
If you worked through that break instead, the recorded hours may need checking.
For example:
- Scheduled shift: 08:00–16:30
- Automatic unpaid break deduction: 30 minutes
- Recorded paid time: 8.00 hours
But if you actually worked through the whole break, the time you physically worked was 8h 30m.
Whether the payroll record should be adjusted depends on the employer’s timekeeping and payroll rules.
If the recorded break does not match what actually happened, check it with your employer or payroll team.
Weekly payroll example with breaks
Break deductions can make a noticeable difference over a full week.
For example:
| Day | Shift time | Unpaid break | Paid hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 8.00 | 0.50 | 7.50 |
| Tuesday | 8.50 | 0.50 | 8.00 |
| Wednesday | 8.00 | 0.50 | 7.50 |
| Thursday | 9.00 | 0.75 | 8.25 |
| Friday | 7.50 | 0.50 | 7.00 |
| Total | 38.25 |
In this example, the total paid time for the week is 38.25 hours.
That means 38 hours 15 minutes.
This is the figure that may then be used for payroll calculations, depending on the employer’s rules.
How breaks affect gross pay
Unpaid breaks reduce paid hours, so they can also reduce gross pay.
For example:
- Paid hours: 7.50
- Hourly rate: £14
7.50 × £14 = £105.00
So the gross pay for those hours is £105.00.
If the same shift had included a paid 30-minute break, the paid time may instead have remained at 8.00 hours.
At £14 per hour:
8.00 × £14 = £112.00
For more detail, see How to Calculate Pay From Decimal Hours.
Common mistakes when dealing with breaks
Forgetting to subtract an unpaid break
Using the full start-to-finish time can overstate paid hours if the shift includes an unpaid break.
Subtracting a paid break
A paid break normally remains part of paid working time.
Treating 30 minutes as 0.30 hours
Thirty minutes is 0.50 hours, not 0.30.
Assuming a scheduled break was definitely taken
An automatic deduction may not reflect what actually happened during the shift.
Using total shift duration instead of paid hours
A shift may last 8.5 hours from start to finish but contain an unpaid break, leaving fewer paid hours.
Assuming every employer treats breaks the same way
Break arrangements can vary between employers, contracts and payroll systems.
Convert your own time
Need to convert a break length or shift total into decimal hours?
Use the Hundred Hour Time Converter to:
- convert minutes into decimal hours
- convert decimal hours back into normal time
- check shift and payroll values
- avoid common time-conversion mistakes
For example: 30 minutes → 0.50 hours or 0.75 hours → 45 minutes
Convert My Time