How to calculate hours worked step by step without complications?

Knowing how to calculate hours worked is a challenge that almost all workers face at some point.

This is because this is important information to ensure that the person is fulfilling their obligations and receiving a proportional amount.

After all, how can you know if you're owed overtime if you don't know how many hours you worked? 

The good news is that in today's material we can help you with this issue, as we will show you how to calculate your hours correctly.

That said, if you wish guarantee your rights and avoid labor problems, don't miss the following content! 

Why is it important to know how to calculate hours worked?

Labor rights greatly help workers in their daily lives.

That's because, vacation, 13th and even labor legislation prevents a lot of abuse in the job market, and brings financial relief to the worker's pocket.

However, for labor rights to be properly respected, calculating the hours worked is essential.

This is because the amounts received by employees under the CLT regime are calculated based on hours worked.

This means that the employee's salary is divided according to the hours he or she works.

Therefore, each hour of work counts towards the total salary.

And, when these hours exceed the workload stipulated in the contract, they will be paid as overtime.

This means that if you were hired to work 44 hours a week and you worked 50 hours, those 6 hours will be paid extra in your salary.

But, it is important to say that the same goes for the opposite.

This is because, if you do not meet the stipulated minimum workload, the missing hours may be deducted from your salary.

It is worth mentioning that being absent for a whole day can result in a discount on your weekly paid rest (DSR).

Therefore, calculating your hours worked is also crucial to ensure that you are up to date with the company and will not suffer any penalties.

Next we will see how you can do this calculation.

How to calculate hours worked?

In the previous topic we understood why it is so important to calculate your hours worked.

And we've seen that this is important both to guarantee your rights and to certify that you are properly fulfilling your obligations as an employee.

Therefore, calculating hours benefits both workers and employers.

But, it's worth mentioning that there's no point in calculating your hours if you don't record them on your timesheet.

This is because filling out the timesheet is a daily obligation for the worker.

This way, the employer can know what time the employee started his shift and when he finished it.

This makes it easier to calculate the hours worked, and consequently define the salary to be paid each month.

Therefore, it is very important that you fill this out daily, in order to guarantee your rights and avoid discounts.

Let's now look at two alternatives for calculating hours worked in a simple and practical way.

Use an app 

We currently have several applications that help with labor calculations.

Among the apps' functions, we can highlight the ability to calculate hours worked.

The coolest thing is that these apps also let you know which of these hours are regular and which are extra.

In addition, they also allow you to check the possibility of additional and other rights.

To calculate using the apps, simply select your weekly workload.

Once this is done, include the hours you worked during the week, including overtime and subtracting absences and tardiness, if any.

Once this is done, the application will show you how many hours you worked, and if there is any possibility of additional pay, overtime and/or discounts.

Check your timesheet 

Previously, we gave you a simpler and more practical way to calculate hours worked.

But, it's worth saying that this possibility only becomes possible when you already know how long you worked.

If you have no idea about the hours worked, your only option is to check your timesheet.

To do this, start by clarifying your weekly schedule, and then check your entry and exit times, and lunch time.

So, let's suppose you work 9 hours, of which 1 hour is for lunch, and your shift should start at 7:00 and end at 16:00.

This means that your daily journey is 8 hours.

Make sure you arrive on time every day, take your 1-hour lunch break, and leave on time.

If you notice that you came in late, left early, or even spent more time than you should have at lunch, these periods will be deducted from the calculation.

But, if you came in earlier, took less lunch time or even left later, you'll have more hours to add.

Therefore, add up the hours you actually spent working, and you will have the calculation of hours worked.

If the calculation matches your assignment, you are fulfilling your workload.

If you missed hours, you will need to make up for them or have them discounted from your salary.

And finally, if you worked more hours than you should have, you will receive them as extra pay.

So, we can see that calculating hours worked is not rocket science!

Can I have my salary discounted for not clocking in?

At this point you already know how to calculate hours worked, and you've seen that this can be a laborious task, but it's not that difficult.

But, do you remember that we said that this calculation is only valid if it corresponds to the time sheet?

So, many people calculate the hours, without considering that the filling in of the time sheet does not correspond.

After all, is it possible to have your salary discounted for not clocking in? 

As we have already explained, the timesheet serves precisely so that HR or the employer itself is aware of the time worked by the employee.

Therefore, failure to fill in the information makes this check impossible.

Therefore, those who calculate salaries cannot be sure of the time dedicated by the worker.

In fact, a day that is not filled in on the sheet may even be considered an absence.

Therefore, failing to fill out the payroll can lead to salary deductions.

Therefore, if you have the habit of leaving without clocking in, or going to lunch without registering, know that this can cause you problems.

So, always try to fill out your sheet to make calculations easier and avoid problems!