Guides
How to count hours, fill in timesheets, work out overtime and set up a time clock your team will actually use.
Hours and pay
- How Many Work Hours Are in a Year?A full-time year is usually counted as 2,080 hours: 40 hours a week times 52 weeks. If you count the real calendar, 2026 and 2027 each have 261 weekdays, which is 2,088 hours at 8 hours a day. After holidays and paid time off, most full-time workers are on the job for closer to 1,900 to 2,000 hours.
- How to Calculate Hours Worked (With Lunch, Overnight Shifts and Weekly Totals)To calculate hours worked, subtract your start time from your end time, then subtract any unpaid lunch break. Convert the result to decimal hours by dividing the minutes by 60, and add up the days to get your weekly total.
- How to Calculate Overtime Pay (Time and a Half and Double Time)To calculate overtime pay, multiply your hourly rate by 1.5 to get the overtime rate, then multiply that by your overtime hours. Add it to your regular pay for the total. Double time works the same way with 2 instead of 1.5.
- How to Fill Out a Timesheet, Step by StepTo fill out a timesheet, write the date, your start time, your end time and any unpaid break for every day you work, then subtract the break to get each day’s hours. Add the days for the week, convert the total to decimal hours, check it, and sign. The steps below show each part with real numbers.
- How to Track Employee Hours in a Small BusinessThe best way to track employee hours is the simplest method your team will use every shift without help. For most small businesses that means moving from paper timesheets to a spreadsheet, then to a time clock app or a shared tablet kiosk once you have more than a few people. Below are the four main options, what each one really costs you, and how to pick.
- Minutes to Decimal Hours: Conversion Chart and FormulaTo convert minutes to decimal hours, divide the minutes by 60. So 15 minutes is 0.25 hours, 30 minutes is 0.50 and 45 minutes is 0.75. The full time card conversion chart below covers every minute from 1 to 60.
- What Is Buddy Punching, and How Do You Prevent It?Buddy punching is when one employee clocks in or out for a coworker who is not actually there. It looks like a small favor, but the business pays for time nobody worked and the records stop being true. The fix is a fair policy plus a time clock that makes each punch personal.
Time clock setup
- Choosing an RFID Card Reader for Your Time ClockFor a tablet time clock, the simplest RFID card reader is a small USB reader with keyboard emulation: it types the card number as if someone typed it on a keyboard, so it works without drivers. Pick one frequency, 125 kHz or 13.56 MHz, and buy cards or key fobs that match it. A reader and a pack of fobs usually cost less than one month of many time clock subscriptions.
- How to Make Employee QR Badges for Your Time ClockEmployee QR badges are the cheapest way to clock in with a badge: print each worker's QR code on a CR80 card, the size of a bank card, laminate it, and let the tablet camera scan it. You need a printer, card stock or PVC cards, and lamination pouches. When a badge gets lost, retire the old code and print a new one.
- How to Set Up a Tablet as a Time Clock KioskTo set up a tablet time clock, pick a tablet with a front camera, mount it near the entrance, plug it in for good, and lock it to the time clock with kiosk mode: Guided Access on an iPad or app pinning on Android. Then test what happens when the Wi-Fi drops. The whole job takes an afternoon.
Comparisons
- ClockBadge vs Clockify: which kiosk time clock fits your team?Clockify is a mature time tracker with a browser kiosk on its paid plans. ClockBadge is a tablet time clock in early access, built only for punching in and out with badges, cards or a PIN. If you need projects, invoices and scheduling, Clockify does far more; if you want a simple wall clock for shift workers, read on.
- ClockBadge vs Jibble: which tablet time clock should you pick?Jibble is a mature, free time and attendance app with a kiosk mode that supports face recognition, NFC, PIN and QR codes. ClockBadge is a browser-based tablet time clock in early access, focused on badges, cards and PINs. Jibble covers far more ground; ClockBadge aims to be the simplest punch clock on the wall.
- The best free time clock apps for small businessThe best free time clock app for small business depends on team size and how people clock in. Jibble, Connecteam and Homebase have free plans that include a shared tablet time clock, Clockify is free for up to 5 users without kiosk, and ClockBadge (early access) is free for up to 3 employees with badge, card and PIN punching.