Time Rounding Calculator: 5, 6 and 15 Minutes (7-Minute Rule)
Enter your actual clock-in and clock-out and choose how the time clock rounds. See the rounded punches, the difference in minutes and what it could mean over a year.
Time rounding calculator
See how 5-, 6- and 15-minute rounding changes a shift and your pay.
Time rounding calculator ·
Enter your numbers above and the result appears here.
How this was calculated
The 7-minute rule in plain English
When time is rounded to the nearest quarter hour (15 minutes), a punch up to 7 minutes past a quarter mark is rounded down and one 8 minutes or more past is rounded up. That is what people call the “7-minute rule” or “8-minute rule”. Federal regulation 29 CFR 785.48(b) does not use that name; it recognises the practice of recording starting and stopping time to the nearest 5 minutes, or to the nearest one-tenth or quarter of an hour, and accepts it for enforcement purposes where it does not result, over a period of time, in failure to compensate employees properly.
| Minutes past the hour (punch) | Rounds to | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| 0 - 7 | :00 | down (or no change) |
| 8 - 22 | :15 | 8-14 up, 15 none, 16-22 down |
| 23 - 37 | :30 | 23-29 up, 30 none, 31-37 down |
| 38 - 52 | :45 | 38-44 up, 45 none, 46-52 down |
| 53 - 59 | next :00 | up |
Rounding to 5 and 6 minutes
- 5 minutes: 1-2 minutes past a mark round down, 3-4 round up (so 8:03 → 8:05, 8:02 → 8:00).
- 6 minutes (tenth of an hour): 1-2 down, 3-5 up (8:03 → 8:06). Each rounded value is an exact tenth of an hour, which is why some payroll systems like it.
- Always up / always down: the calculator also shows these so you can see how one-sided rounding differs. Rounding that always favors the employer is the situation regulators and courts examine most closely.
Worked examples
A shift that loses time
Actual: in 8:08 am, out 5:07 pm, 30-minute break. Clock-in: 8 minutes past 8:00, so it rounds up to 8:15. Clock-out: 7 minutes past 5:00, so it rounds down to 5:00. Rounded time = 8:15 to 5:00 = 8:45, minus 30 = 8:15. Actual = 8:59 − 30 = 8:29. Difference: -14 minutes, worth $4.20 at $18.00 an hour.
A shift that gains time
Actual: in 7:52 am, out 5:08 pm. Clock-in is 7 minutes past 7:45, so it rounds down to 7:45; clock-out is 8 minutes past 5:00, so it rounds up to 5:15. Rounded = 7:45 to 5:15 = 9:30 versus actual 9:16, which is 14 minutes more. Rounding averages out only when punches fall on both sides of the marks across many shifts.
What to do if you think rounding is costing you
- Keep your own record of actual punches for a few weeks (the time card calculator lets you compare rounded and unrounded totals).
- Compare the total with your pay stub.
- Ask payroll to explain the rounding policy in writing.
- If you still have concerns, contact your state labor department or the U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division. Our rounding guide covers the details.
A week of rounded punches
| Day | Actual in / out | Rounded in / out (15 min) | Actual paid | Rounded paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 7:58 / 4:32 | 8:00 / 4:30 | 8:04 | 8:00 |
| Tue | 8:09 / 4:36 | 8:15 / 4:30 | 7:57 | 7:45 |
| Wed | 7:51 / 4:44 | 7:45 / 4:45 | 8:23 | 8:30 |
| Thu | 8:03 / 5:12 | 8:00 / 5:15 | 8:39 | 8:45 |
| Fri | 8:00 / 4:25 | 8:00 / 4:30 | 7:55 | 8:00 |
Totals: actual 40:58 versus rounded 41:00. In this particular week rounding favored the employee by two minutes; a different set of punches would not. The test is how it behaves over many weeks (a 30-minute meal is deducted from each day in every column).
Choosing the rounding that fits your payroll
If your system stores time in tenths of an hour, use 6-minute rounding so that every entry is a clean decimal. If it uses quarter hours, use 15. If you are an employer deciding whether to round at all, run a sample of real punches through this calculator in both directions and compare the totals across several weeks before adopting a policy.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 7-minute rule for time clocks?
A common method of rounding to the nearest 15 minutes: 1 to 7 minutes round down and 8 to 14 minutes round up. Federal regulations accept rounding to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth or quarter hour only if it does not result, over time, in failure to compensate employees properly.
Is rounding time cards legal?
Federal regulation 29 CFR 785.48(b) accepts rounding that averages out over time. Practices that consistently favor the employer can be unlawful, and some states have stricter rules. See our guide.
What is the 8-minute rule?
The same quarter-hour rule described from the other direction: 8 minutes or more past a quarter mark rounds up.
How does 6-minute rounding work?
Time is recorded in tenths of an hour (6 minutes each). Minutes 1-2 round down and 3-5 round up.
Should I round start and end times or total hours?
The federal regulation talks about recording starting and stopping time. Rounding the punches, as this calculator does, is the standard application.
Sources and last checked
Last checked: . Rules change; confirm with the linked agency before relying on a figure. This is general information, not legal or payroll advice - see our disclaimer.