End time is start plus length, with breaks decided separately
To finish eight worked hours you have to sit on the clock for the eight hours plus the unpaid meal break. An unpaid lunch pushes the end time later; a paid break does not, because it already counts as time worked. Get this wrong and every shift end lands an hour off.
Elapsed time is not the same as hours worked
- Paid rest breaks. Short breaks (often 15 minutes) usually count as time worked, so they do not move your end time.
- Unpaid meal breaks. A 30–60 minute lunch is deducted from the shift, so an "8-hour shift" with a one-hour lunch means nine hours between clocking in and out.
- Break rules. Federal FLSA does not require breaks at all, but most states mandate at least a 30-minute meal break once a shift passes about six hours, so the deduction is often not optional.
Crossing midnight
When the finish time falls earlier on the clock than the start, the shift has crossed into the next day. Add the length to the start and subtract 24 hours from anything past midnight to read the correct end time — a night shift beginning at 22:00 for 8 hours finishes at 06:00, not a negative number.
Common questions
Does an 8-hour shift include lunch?
Usually not. A standard 8-hour shift is eight paid working hours plus an unpaid meal break on top, so a shift starting at 9 with a one-hour lunch ends at 6, not 5. Check whether your workplace counts the eight hours as time worked or as time on site.
How do I work out the end time of an overnight shift?
Add the shift length to the start time, and when the total passes midnight, roll over to the next day. A shift starting at 22:00 that runs 8 hours ends at 06:00 the following morning.
When does overtime start on an 8-hour shift?
In most US jurisdictions overtime is any time worked beyond 8 hours in a day, paid at 1.5 times the regular rate. Some states only trigger daily overtime past a different threshold or use the weekly 40-hour rule instead, so state law decides.
