Subtract only the unpaid part of the break
First find the elapsed time from the start to the end of the shift. Then subtract break minutes that should not count as paid work. A paid break remains inside the worked-hours total.
Same-day example: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Elapsed shift: 8 hours = 480 minutes.
- Unpaid lunch: 30 minutes.
- Worked time: 480 − 30 = 450 minutes.
- Result: 7 hours 30 minutes, or 7.50 decimal hours.
Overnight example: 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM
Count 2 hours from 10:00 PM to midnight and 6 hours from midnight to 6:00 AM. The elapsed shift is 8 hours. Subtract a 30-minute unpaid meal period to get 7 hours 30 minutes.
Paid and unpaid breaks
Use the break setting that matches the record you are checking. Workplace policy and applicable federal, state, local, contractual, or industry rules determine whether time is compensable. Under the federal FLSA, the U.S. Department of Labor says short rest periods are generally counted as hours worked, while a bona fide meal period generally need not be counted when the employee is completely relieved from duty. That federal summary is not a complete determination for a particular worker or location.
Authoritative reference: U.S. Department of Labor Fact Sheet #22: Hours Worked Under the FLSA.