How do I Compute Hours for Time Worked?

It's important to keep track of how many hours you worked.

While many businesses automatically track the amount of time their employees work, certain companies may ask you to keep track of the amount of hours you worked yourself. You can choose to compute your work time with good old-fashioned pen and paper, or you can devise a simple Excel program to help with your calculations.

Things You'll Need

• Calculator
• Paper
• Pen

Instructions

By Hand

1. Write out seven columns on a piece of paper, one for each day of the week. (If you must keep track of time worked for a longer period, continue writing columns for each day you work.) Write the dates of the actual week(s) you are keeping track of at the top of the column. Keep the piece of paper with you whenever you work.

2. Write down the time when you begin work in the correct column. When you are done working, write down the time you stopped working. If you work a number of times in a single day, write the start and end times for each work session.

3. Calculate how much time you worked that week. First calculate the amount of time per day by adding up all of the time you worked in each column. Then add the sum for each of the columns to find out how much you worked that week.

Using Excel

1. In A1 write the phrase "Work Start." In B1 write the phrase "Work End." In C1 write the phrase "Time Worked."

2. Highlight both A2 and B2 and press the buttons "Ctrl" and "1" at the same time. This will allow you to format the cells. Choose the tab for "Number" and go into the "Category" list. There, select the option for "Time." Select the option for time to be displayed in the format "1:30PM" and press "OK."

3. Right-click on C2 and select the option to "Format Cells." Choose the tab for "Number" and go into the "Category" list. There, select the option for "Time." Select the option for time to be displayed in the format "13:30" and press "OK." While still selected on C2, enter a formula in the formula bar toward the top. The formula you want to enter is "=IF(B2<A2,B2+1,B2)-A2."

4. Enter the time you started working in A2 under the heading for "Time In" and enter the time you stopped working in B2 under the heading for "Time Out." The amount of hours you worked during that time span will be automatically inserted into C2.

References

• Use Excel to calculate the hours worked for any shift

Resources

• Time Sheet Calculator
• Calculate Hours