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Hours, overtime & pay, explained

Short, sourced answers to the questions behind every time card.

time cards 101How to Calculate Hours Worked (with Lunch, Overnight & Decimal Examples)Step-by-step: how to calculate hours worked from clock-in and clock-out times, subtract lunch breaks, handle overnight shifts and convert to decimal hours for payroll.overtimeTime and a Half: How Overtime Pay Is Calculated (with Examples)What time and a half means, when overtime starts under federal and state law, how to calculate overtime pay, the regular rate with bonuses, and daily overtime in California.time clock roundingThe 7-Minute Rule: How Time Clock Rounding WorksHow the 7-minute rule rounds punches to the nearest quarter hour, when rounding is legal under federal rules, examples, and states where it's risky.breaksAre Breaks Paid? Lunch and Rest Break Rules ExplainedFederal rules on paid and unpaid breaks: short breaks under 20 minutes are paid, 30-minute meal periods can be unpaid, and which states require breaks.taxesNo Tax on Overtime: How the Overtime Deduction Works (2025–2028)The federal deduction for qualified overtime pay from the 2025 tax law: who qualifies, the $12,500 limit, income phase-out, what counts as qualified overtime, and an example.pay periodsBiweekly vs. Semimonthly Pay: What's the Difference?Biweekly means 26 paychecks a year every other week; semimonthly means 24 on fixed dates. How each affects hours, overtime and budgeting, with examples.timesheetsHow to Fill Out a Timesheet (Step by Step, with a Free Printable)How to fill out a weekly timesheet correctly: dates, clock-in and out times, breaks, totals in decimal, overtime and signatures, plus a free printable timesheet.household employersDo Nannies and Caregivers Get Overtime?Overtime rules for nannies, babysitters and home care aides: live-out vs live-in under federal law, states with domestic worker bills of rights, and how families track hours.healthcareThe 8/80 Rule: Overtime for Nurses and Hospital WorkersHow the FLSA 8/80 system lets hospitals and nursing homes pay overtime after 8 hours a day or 80 hours in 14 days instead of 40 a week, with examples.family caregiversCaregiver Timesheet: How to Track Hours for a Home AideHow families and caregivers track hours for paid home care: what to record, overtime, Medicaid self-directed and long-term care insurance reimbursement, with a free timesheet.