How to Convert a Timesheet to Decimal Hours

Step 1: Work out the paid time

Before converting anything into decimals, work out how long you were actually paid for.

• Start: 08:00
• Finish: 16:30
• Total time: 8h 30m
• Unpaid break: 30m

Paid time: 8h, so the decimal result is 8.00 hours.

If there is no unpaid break, use the full worked duration. If your timesheet already gives you a total such as 7h 45m, you can skip straight to the conversion step.

Step 2: Convert the minutes into a decimal

To convert minutes into decimal hours, divide the minutes by 60.

15 ÷ 60 = 0.25, so 15 minutes = 0.25 hours

30 ÷ 60 = 0.50, so 30 minutes = 0.50 hours

45 ÷ 60 = 0.75, so 45 minutes = 0.75 hours

Step 3: Add the decimal minutes to the whole hours

Once you have converted the minutes, add them to the whole hours.

For example, a worked time of 8h 15m:

15 ÷ 60 = 0.25, then 8 + 0.25 = 8.25

So: 8h 15m = 8.25 decimal hours

Another example: 9h 30m, where 30 ÷ 60 = 0.50, so 9h 30m = 9.50 decimal hours.

The important point is that decimal hours are based on fractions of 60 minutes, not fractions of 100.

Worked timesheet example

Suppose your timesheet shows:

The calculation is:

09:00–17:30 = 8h 30m, minus a 30m unpaid break = 8h paid

So the payroll-ready decimal result is 8.00 hours.

Example: converting a weekly timesheet

Suppose your paid working time for the week is:

Once each day’s hours have been converted, the decimal values can be added together:

7.50 + 8.25 + 7.75 + 8.00 + 6.50 = 38.00 decimal hours

This is much easier to use in a pay calculation than a mixture of hours and minutes.

The exact result can vary slightly depending on when rounding is applied, so if you are calculating payroll, follow the rounding method used by your employer or payroll system.

Why 7:45 is not 7.45 decimal hours

This is one of the most common mistakes when completing a decimal timesheet.

7:45 means 7 hours and 45 minutes. To convert the 45 minutes:

45 ÷ 60 = 0.75

So: 7 hours 45 minutes = 7.75 decimal hours

By comparison, 7.45 decimal hours means 7 whole hours plus 0.45 of an hour:

0.45 × 60 = 27 minutes

So: 7.45 decimal hours = 7 hours 27 minutes

The same applies to 7:30. If you work 7h 30m, you should not enter 7.30. The correct decimal value is 7.50, because 30 ÷ 60 = 0.50.

By comparison, 7.30 decimal hours = 7h 18m, because 0.30 × 60 = 18 minutes.

This is why you should never simply replace the colon in a time with a decimal point.

Quick timesheet conversion table

For a wider range of values, see the Decimal Hours Conversion Chart.

Common timesheet minute conversions

These are some of the most common minute values used when converting timesheets:

For a complete reference, see the Decimal Hours Conversion Chart.

How to convert a whole week’s timesheet

There are two common ways to convert a weekly timesheet.

Convert each day separately

You can convert each day’s hours and minutes into decimal hours, then add the decimal values together.

• Monday: 7h 30m = 7.50
• Tuesday: 7h 45m = 7.75
• Wednesday: 8h = 8.00

You can then total the decimal-hour figures. This is often the simplest method when a timesheet already contains a separate total for each day.

Add the hours and minutes first

Alternatively, you can add all the worked hours and minutes together first and then convert the final weekly total.

For example, if your total working time is 37 hours 30 minutes:

30 ÷ 60 = 0.50, so 37h 30m = 37.50 decimal hours

Another example, 38h 27m:

27 ÷ 60 = 0.45, so 38h 27m = 38.45 decimal hours

This method can help avoid small differences caused by rounding individual daily entries.

If your employer or payroll system has its own rounding rules, follow those rules rather than applying your own. For a full weekly method, see How to Convert Weekly Hours for Payroll.

What do I actually enter into payroll?

If the system asks for decimal hours, enter the decimal equivalent of your paid time.

• 7h 30m → 7.50
• 8h 15m → 8.25
• 8h 45m → 8.75
• 9h 06m → 9.10
• 10h 30m → 10.50

Do not type the minutes after the decimal point unless they genuinely represent that fraction of an hour.

For a fuller comparison of the two formats, see Timesheet Hours and Minutes vs Decimal Hours.

What if your timesheet shows start and finish times?

Some timesheets do not show the total hours worked. Instead, they record:

• start time
• finish time
• break duration

In that case, you first need to calculate the actual hours worked:

Finish time − start time − unpaid breaks = working time

You can then convert the resulting hours and minutes into decimal hours.

For a full walkthrough, see How to Calculate Hours Worked for Payroll or How to Calculate Shift Hours.

What about unpaid breaks?

If your timesheet includes an unpaid lunch or other break, deduct the break before converting the final worked time into decimal hours.

08:00 to 16:30 = 8 hours 30 minutes, minus a 30-minute unpaid break = 8 hours worked

The decimal total is therefore 8.00 hours.

If you converted the full 8h 30m without removing the unpaid break, you would incorrectly enter 8.50 hours.

For more detailed examples, see How Breaks Affect Payroll Hours.

What if the break is paid?

If the break is paid, it normally remains part of the paid working time.

• Shift span: 8h 30m
• Paid break: 30m
• Paid time: 8h 30m

Decimal: 8.50 hours

Only unpaid breaks should normally be deducted from paid hours.

What about overnight shifts?

If a shift crosses midnight, work out the full elapsed time first.

• Start: 20:00
• Finish: 06:00 next day
• Elapsed time: 10 hours
• Unpaid break: 30m
• Paid time: 9h 30m

Decimal: 9.50 hours

The important thing is to treat the finish time as occurring on the following day. For the full method, see How to Calculate a Night Shift Across Midnight.

Decimal conversion and payroll rounding are not the same thing

Converting minutes into decimal hours is a mathematical conversion.

18 ÷ 60 = 0.30, so 18 minutes = 0.30 hours

Payroll rounding is different. An employer or software system may have a separate rule for rounding clock times or worked hours.

Do not round a timesheet entry simply because a nearby decimal looks neater. Use the exact conversion unless your employer or payroll system tells you otherwise.

How to convert less obvious minute values

Not every timesheet uses quarter-hour blocks.

• 6 minutes: 6 ÷ 60 = 0.10, so 8h 06m = 8.10 hours
• 18 minutes: 18 ÷ 60 = 0.30, so 8h 18m = 8.30 hours
• 36 minutes: 36 ÷ 60 = 0.60, so 8h 36m = 8.60 hours
• 54 minutes: 54 ÷ 60 = 0.90, so 8h 54m = 8.90 hours

This is why the digits after the decimal point do not represent ordinary clock minutes.

Using decimal hours for payroll

Decimal hours are useful in payroll because they can be multiplied directly by an hourly pay rate.

7.75 hours × £15 per hour = £116.25

This is why payroll systems often prefer decimal hours rather than hours and minutes.

If you want to understand how decimal time is used in payroll calculations, see Decimal Hours for Payroll Explained.

Common timesheet conversion mistakes

Entering 7.30 for 7h 30m

The correct decimal is 7.50.

Converting the clock times instead of the worked duration

Work out the total paid time first, then convert that duration into decimal hours.

Forgetting unpaid breaks

Unpaid breaks should normally be removed before the decimal conversion.

Mixing decimal hours and hours and minutes

8.50 hours = 8h 30m, not 8h 50m.

Rounding too early

Keep the full calculation accurate before applying any required payroll rounding.

Subtracting the break twice

If your timesheet already shows paid hours after breaks, do not subtract the break again.

Adding values in different formats

Do not add something like 7h 30m + 8.25 without first putting both values into the same format.