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Employment & leave New Zealand

Timesheet Calculator NZ

A timesheet is only addition, but start times, finish times and unpaid breaks make it easy to get wrong. This calculator totals a week of shifts for New Zealand workers, handles shifts that cross midnight, and shows hours over your overtime line and pay at your base rate.

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DayStartFinishUnpaid break (min)Hours
Monday—
Tuesday—
Wednesday—
Thursday—
Friday—
Saturday—
Sunday—

Total hours for the week

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Ordinary hours

—

Hours over the overtime line

—

Days worked

—

Pay at the base rate

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Average hours per day worked

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Day by day

    How do I calculate hours worked on a timesheet?

    Subtract the start time from the finish time and take off any unpaid break. 8:30 am to 5:00 pm with a 30-minute unpaid meal break is 8 hours. If the shift finishes after midnight, add 24 hours to the finish first. In New Zealand, paid 10-minute rest breaks count as time worked, and only the unpaid meal break comes off.

    Breaks in New Zealand

    Employees are entitled to rest and meal breaks under the Employment Relations Act: two to four hours worked gives a paid 10-minute rest break, four to six hours a rest break and a 30-minute unpaid meal break, and six to eight hours two rest breaks and a meal break. Rest breaks are paid, so they stay in the hours total.

    The unpaid break column in this tool is for the meal break only.

    Overtime in NZ

    There is no general overtime rate in New Zealand law. Overtime pay is set by the employment agreement, and minimum wage still applies to every hour worked. Where your agreement gives time and a half after 40 hours, set the overtime line to 40 and use the figures to estimate pay.

    For public holiday pay, use the public holiday pay calculator.

    How this is calculated

    The rule, step by step, so you can check any figure by hand.

    • daily hours = (finish − start) − unpaid break, adding 24 hours if the finish is before the start
    • weekly hours = the sum of the seven days
    • overtime hours = weekly hours − the overtime line (if positive)
    • pay at the base rate = ordinary hours × rate (overtime multipliers are in the overtime calculator)

    Times are added in minutes and converted to decimal hours at the end, so a shift of 8 hours 15 minutes is 8.25 hours, the figure payroll systems use. Typing 8.15 for 8 hours 15 minutes loses six minutes.

    New Zealand law sets rest and meal breaks: a paid 10-minute rest break for shifts of two to four hours, a rest break and an unpaid 30-minute meal break for four to six, and two rest breaks and a meal break for six to eight. Only the unpaid meal break comes off the time, and employers must keep time and wages records for six years.

    A worked example

    Five shifts from 9:00 to 5:30 with a 30-minute unpaid break at $30 an hour, overtime after 40 hours.

    1. One shift8.0 hours
    2. Five shifts40.0 hours
    3. Pay at the base rate, 40 × $30$1,200

    40 hours for the week at $1,200.

    Overtime is not set by law in NZ; it depends on your agreement.

    Record keeping

    Employers must keep wages and time records for at least six years, and employees can ask to see theirs. Keep your own timesheet; it is your evidence in a dispute.

    What it leaves out

    Penalty rates, allowances and rostering rules are not modelled. A shift longer than 24 hours must be split across two days.

    What this calculator does not do

    • One shift per day
    • Overtime is by agreement, not statute
    • Penalty rates not modelled
    • A shift longer than 24 hours must be split

    Common questions

    How do I add up hours and minutes?

    Convert each shift to minutes, add them up and divide by 60.

    Do rest breaks come off my hours?

    No. Rest breaks are paid, so only the unpaid meal break is subtracted.

    How are night shifts calculated?

    If the finish is earlier than the start, 24 hours is added to the finish.

    Is there a legal overtime rate in NZ?

    No. It is set by your employment agreement.

    How long must employers keep time records?

    At least six years.

    Where these numbers come from

    Method last reviewed 2026-10-28 This calculator uses fixed rules rather than rates that change, and its method is re-checked against the sources above at least once a year. Out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.

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