How to fill out a time card
A time card has a few boxes for each day. Here is what to write in each one, with a filled-in week you can copy the pattern from.
Example: the week below adds up to 36 h (36.00 hours).
Estimate based on what you entered. Not legal or payroll advice; check it against your employer's records.
How to use it
- Write your name, the week or pay period and the date for each row.
- Write the time you started and the time you stopped for each day.
- Write the minutes of any unpaid break (HoursPad calls this box "Unpaid break (min)").
- Work out the day's hours, add the days for the weekly total, then sign and date it.
A filled-in example
| Day | In | Out | Unpaid break | Hours worked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 8:00 AM | 4:30 PM | 30 min | 8 h (8.00) |
| Tue | 8:15 AM | 5:00 PM | 45 min | 8 h (8.00) |
| Wed | 9:00 AM | 5:30 PM | 30 min | 8 h (8.00) |
| Thu | 8:00 AM | 12:00 PM | none | 4 h (4.00) |
| Fri | 7:45 AM | 4:15 PM | 30 min | 8 h (8.00) |
| Weekly total | 36 h (36.00) | |||
Box by box
- Name and period. Put your name and the dates the card covers at the top.
- Date. One row per day. On a shift that crosses midnight, HoursPad counts the whole shift on the day it started, so write it on that row.
- In and out. Copy the times as they happened. Add AM or PM to every time in the 12-hour form.
- Break. Write the unpaid minutes only. If your card has two in and out pairs for a day, the gap between them is the unpaid break.
- Hours. Subtract in from out, then subtract the break. The hours worked guide shows how.
- Total and signature. Add the days, check the sum twice, then sign and date.
Why daily hours get written down
Federal regulations list hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek among the records an employer must keep for covered employees. This site is not an employer record system.
A time card you keep yourself is a helpful second record, for example if you want to compare it with your pay statement. It does not replace what your employer keeps.
Fill it in on screen
Use the time card calculator to total the week as you type, then print it from the printable time card. Prefer a blank one? See the time card template or the timesheet template. For a pay that spans two weeks, try the biweekly time card calculator.
Questions
What goes on a time card?
The date, the time you started, the time you stopped, any unpaid break, and the hours for the day, with a weekly total at the bottom. Many cards also have a line for your name and a signature. Your employer may want more, so ask.
Should I write the time in 12-hour or 24-hour form?
Use whichever your employer's card asks for. If it does not say, write AM or PM every time with the 12-hour form so no one mistakes 6:00 for 6 in the evening.
What if I forget to write a time down?
Tell the person who approves your card as soon as you notice and give them your best recollection. Do not guess silently. HoursPad shows "Missing an Out time" when a day has an in time but no out time, so you can fix it.
Can I fill one out on HoursPad and hand it in?
You can fill one in on screen, then press Print, or press Download to get a spreadsheet file. HoursPad is a calculator, not your employer's timekeeping system, so use it to check your numbers and then follow your employer's own process.
Official sources
-
29 CFR § 516.2(a)(7) Employees subject to minimum wage or minimum wage and overtime provisions (opens in new tab), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR).
“Hours worked each workday and total hours worked each workweek”
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.