Daylight saving time and night shifts
If the clock is changed by an hour during a shift, the shift is an hour longer or shorter than the clock times say. This guide gives the official dates and the arithmetic, and leaves the pay question to your employer.
Example: 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is 8 h on the clock. If the clock moved back one hour during that shift, 9 h actually passed. If it moved forward one hour, 7 h actually passed.
Estimate based on what you entered. Not legal or payroll advice; check it against your employer's records.
How to use it
- Check whether your shift crosses 2 a.m. on a changeover Sunday.
- Work out the shift length from the clock times, as usual.
- If the clock moved back an hour during the shift, add one hour. If it moved forward, subtract one hour.
- Ask your employer how the shift is recorded and paid, then enter the hours they use.
The official dates
Under the U.S. Code, daylight saving time starts at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November.
A shift that is running at 2 a.m. on one of those two Sundays is the kind of shift this guide is about.
Why the shift length changes
If the clock is set back an hour in the middle of a shift, an hour of the shift is repeated on the clock, so the person works an hour more than the start and end times suggest. If the clock is set forward an hour, an hour is skipped on the clock and the person works an hour less than the start and end times suggest. This is arithmetic about the clock, not a rule about pay.
What HoursPad does
HoursPad measures the gap between the two times you type. It does not know about any clock change on the date. For a shift that crosses the changeover, you have two numbers: the clock difference and the real elapsed time. They differ by one hour. Your employer's records decide which is used. Look at your pay statement or ask payroll, then type the in and out times they have on file, or adjust the "Unpaid break (min)" box to match.
Two numbers to compare
| Measure | Time |
|---|---|
| By the clock (what HoursPad shows) | 8 h |
| Clock moved back one hour | 9 h |
| Clock moved forward one hour | 7 h |
Related guides and tools
Learn how to count a shift that crosses midnight in overnight shifts and payroll, or use the night shift hours calculator. For general hours arithmetic, read how to calculate hours worked.
Questions
When does daylight saving time start and end?
Under the U.S. Code, it starts at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and ends at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday of November. The source is listed at the bottom of this page.
Does HoursPad add or remove the hour for me?
No. HoursPad subtracts the clock times you type and has no way to know whether your clock changed during the shift. If you want the real elapsed time, add or subtract the hour yourself after you read how your employer records it.
How is the extra or missing hour paid?
HoursPad does not say. This page only explains the arithmetic. Your employer or the U.S. Department of Labor can confirm how that hour is handled for your job.
Do all places change their clocks?
This page does not say which places change their clocks. If your workplace does not change its clocks, the clock arithmetic on this page does not apply.
Official sources
-
15 U.S.C. § 260a(a) Advancement of time or changeover dates (opens in new tab), U.S. Government Publishing Office (U.S. Code).
“During the period commencing at 2 o'clock antemeridian on the second Sunday of March of each year”
Checked November 11, 2026. Rules change; verify with the source. -
15 U.S.C. § 260a(a) Advancement of time or changeover dates (opens in new tab), U.S. Government Publishing Office (U.S. Code).
“ending at 2 o'clock antemeridian on the first Sunday of November of each year”
Checked November 11, 2026. Rules change; verify with the source.
These are summaries of what the official sources say, not legal advice. Laws change and exceptions apply. Check with your employer or your state labor department about your own job.