Is my lunch break paid or unpaid?

In most cases in the US, a meal break of 30 minutes or more is unpaid if you are fully relieved of work duties. Short rest breaks of 20 minutes or less are generally considered paid time under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Always check your employment contract and local labor laws, as rules vary by state and country.

How do I calculate my work hours after a lunch break?

Subtract your shift start time from your shift end time to get total shift hours. Then subtract any unpaid break time. For example, if you work 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch, your total shift is 9 hours, minus 0.5 hours = 8.5 paid hours. Multiply by your hourly rate for daily pay.

Are employers required to give lunch breaks?

Federal law (FLSA) does not require employers to provide meal breaks. However, many states mandate rest and meal periods. California, for example, requires a 30-minute unpaid meal break for shifts over 5 hours. Always check your state's labor department website for specific rules that apply to you.

Can my employer deduct lunch from my pay automatically?

Yes, many employers automatically deduct a set meal break (commonly 30 minutes) from each shift. This is legal as long as you are actually relieved of work duties during that time. If you work through your break, that time must be counted as hours worked and paid accordingly.

Lunch Break Calculator – Calculate Net Work Hours, Paid Break Time & Daily Pay After Meal Deductions

Lunch Break Calculator

Enter your shift start, end, and break time to instantly see your net paid hours, unpaid break deductions, and exact daily pay — free work break time calculator.

No data stored

Instant results

Mobile friendly

100% free

FLSA break rules included

Enter Your Shift Details

Shift Start Time

Shift End Time

Use next-day end if shift crosses midnight

Lunch / Meal Break (minutes)

Typically 30–60 min unpaid

Break Pay Status

Rest Breaks (paid, minutes)

Short paid breaks (e.g. 2 × 10 min = 20)

Days Worked Per Week

Hourly Rate ($)

Optional — needed for pay calculation

Currency Symbol

Your Shift Breakdown

Fill in your shift times on the left and click Calculate to see your paid hours and break breakdown.

Net Paid Hours Today

0h 0m

paid work time

Shift Breakdown

Total Shift Duration —

Unpaid Break Time —

Paid Rest Breaks —

Net Paid Hours —

Daily Gross Pay —

Weekly Gross Pay —

Tax Withheld (est.) —

Est. Take-Home / Day —

Time Breakdown

Hours Comparison (Shift vs Paid vs Break)

How Lunch Break Deductions Work

When you take a meal break of 30 minutes or more and you are fully free from job duties, that time is usually unpaid. Your employer subtracts it from your shift total before calculating your daily pay.

For example, if you work a 9-hour shift and take a 30-minute unpaid lunch, you get paid for 8.5 hours. Short rest breaks (10–20 minutes) are different — the U.S. Department of Labor says those generally count as paid work time under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Some states and countries go further. California requires a 30-minute unpaid meal break for any shift over 5 hours. The UK requires a 20-minute rest break for shifts over 6 hours. Always check your local rules.

Break Time Calculation Formula

The math is simple once you know which breaks are paid and which are not:

Total Shift = End Time − Start Time
Unpaid Deduction = Unpaid Meal Break + Extra Unpaid Time
Net Paid Hours = Total Shift − Unpaid Deduction
Daily Pay = Net Paid Hours × Hourly Rate

Example: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM = 9 hours. Minus 30-min unpaid lunch = 8.5 paid hours. At $18/hr, daily pay = $153.00.

Quick Reference — Break Deduction by Shift Length

Shift Length	Typical Break	Break Status	Paid Hours
4 hours	None required	—	4.0 hrs
5 hours	30 min meal	Unpaid (CA)	4.5 hrs
6 hours	30–60 min meal	Unpaid	5.0–5.5 hrs
7.5 hours	30 min meal	Unpaid	7.0 hrs
8 hours	30–60 min meal	Unpaid	7.0–7.5 hrs
9 hours	60 min meal	Unpaid	8.0 hrs
10 hours	60 min meal	Unpaid	9.0 hrs
12 hours	60 min meal	Unpaid	11.0 hrs

Break Rules Around the World

Break requirements vary widely by country and state. Here are the key rules for common regions:

USA (Federal): No federally required meal break. Short rest breaks (≤20 min) must be paid.
California: 30-min unpaid meal break required for shifts over 5 hours. Second meal break for shifts over 10 hours.
UK: 20-min unpaid rest break for shifts over 6 hours (Working Time Regulations).
EU: 11 hours rest between working days. Rest break after 6 hours — amount set by country.
Australia: 30-min unpaid meal break after 5 hours under most awards.
Canada: Generally 30-min break for every 5 consecutive hours (varies by province).

Always check your specific state, province, or national labor authority for exact rules that apply to your industry and contract.

Frequently Asked Questions

Subtract your shift start from your shift end to get total shift time. Then subtract any unpaid break minutes. Convert the result to decimal hours by dividing remaining minutes by 60. For example: shift is 9 hours, minus 30-minute unpaid lunch = 8.5 paid hours. Multiply by your hourly rate to get your daily pay.

A 30-minute lunch break is typically unpaid, provided you are fully relieved of all work duties during that time. Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, a meal break of 30 minutes or more where you are free to leave the premises is not considered work time and does not have to be paid. If you are required to stay at your desk or respond to work during lunch, that time should be paid.

A meal break (lunch break) is usually 30 minutes or longer and is unpaid when you are fully off duty. A rest break is a short break of 10–20 minutes, typically taken mid-morning or mid-afternoon, and is generally counted as paid work time. Some employers offer both types — a 30-minute unpaid lunch and two 10-minute paid rest breaks per day.

Yes, automatic deductions are common and legal, as long as you actually take the break you are not working during it. Problems arise when employees work through lunch but the deduction still happens. If this is happening to you regularly, speak with your employer's HR team or contact your state labor board, as you are owed pay for any time you were actually working.

It depends on your location. Under federal FLSA rules, there is no required meal break for a 6-hour shift. However, many states have their own rules. California, for instance, requires a 30-minute meal break for any shift over 5 hours. The UK requires a 20-minute rest break for shifts over 6 hours. Check your specific state or country labor laws for the rule that applies to you.

For overnight shifts, the end time is past midnight, so you need to add 24 hours to the end time before calculating the difference. For example, a shift from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM is 8 hours total. This calculator handles overnight shifts automatically when you select the overnight option — just enter your normal times and it adjusts the math.

Daily Gross Pay by Break Duration & Hourly Rate

Based on an 8-hour shift. Unpaid meal break deducted from total hours before pay calculation.

Hourly Rate	No Break 8.0 hrs paid	15-min break 7.75 hrs paid	30-min break 7.5 hrs paid	45-min break 7.25 hrs paid	60-min break 7.0 hrs paid

Formula: (8 hrs − unpaid break hrs) × rate. Currency: $.

Break Time as a Percentage of Shift

How much of your total shift is unpaid break time, and how much pay you lose per day.

Break Duration	6-hr Shift	7-hr Shift	8-hr Shift	9-hr Shift	10-hr Shift	12-hr Shift

Break % = Break Time ÷ Total Shift × 100. Helps you understand how much of your day is unpaid.

Weekly Pay Difference — Paid vs Unpaid Break

How much more you earn per week if your lunch break is paid instead of unpaid (5 days/week, 8-hr shift).

Hourly Rate	15-min break/day +1.25 hrs/wk	30-min break/day +2.5 hrs/wk	45-min break/day +3.75 hrs/wk	60-min break/day +5 hrs/wk	Annual Difference (30-min break)

Weekly difference = break hrs × 5 days × rate. Annual = weekly difference × 52 weeks.

Net Paid Hours by Shift Length & Break Duration

Quickly find your actual paid hours for any combination of shift length and break time.

Shift Hours	No Break	15 min break	30 min break	45 min break	60 min break	90 min break

Net Paid Hours = Shift Length − Unpaid Break. Highlighted cells show common combinations.

Global Meal & Rest Break Requirements

A reference guide to break laws and requirements around the world.

Country / Region	Shift Threshold	Required Break	Paid?	2nd Break	Rest Breaks	Law / Standard
🇺🇸 USA (Federal)	No requirement	None mandated	N/A	N/A	≤20 min = paid	FLSA
🇺🇸 California	Over 5 hrs	30 min meal	Unpaid	Over 10 hrs	10 min per 4 hrs	CA Labor Code
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	Over 6 hrs	20 min rest	Unpaid	No	Daily rest 11 hrs	Working Time Regs
🇦🇺 Australia	Over 5 hrs	30 min meal	Unpaid	Varies	Award specific	Fair Work Act
🇨🇦 Canada	5 consecutive hrs	30 min	Unpaid	Varies	Varies by province	Canada Labour Code
🇩🇪 Germany	6 hours	30 min	Unpaid	9+ hrs: 45 min	11 hr daily rest	ArbZG
🇫🇷 France	6 hours	20 min	Unpaid	No	11 hr daily rest	Labour Code
🇯🇵 Japan	Over 6 hrs	45 min	Unpaid	Over 8 hrs: 60 min	Weekly rest day	Labour Standards Act
🇮🇳 India	5 hours	30 min	Unpaid	Varies	1 rest day/week	Factories Act
🇧🇷 Brazil	4–6 hours	15–60 min	Unpaid	Varies	11 hr daily rest	CLT
🇿🇦 South Africa	Over 5 hrs	60 min	Unpaid	No	12 hr daily rest	BCEA
🇸🇬 Singapore	No mandate	By contract	By contract	N/A	Rest day per week	Employment Act

Rules vary by industry and employment contract. Always verify with your local labor authority. This table is for reference only.

Daily Take-Home Pay After Tax (8-hr Shift, 30-min Unpaid Break)

Daily net pay estimates after common tax rates, based on 7.5 paid hours per day.

Hourly Rate	Daily Gross	After 15% Tax	After 22% Tax	After 28% Tax	After 32% Tax	After 37% Tax

Assumes 7.5 paid hours (8-hr shift minus 30-min unpaid lunch). Tax rates are illustrative — actual withholding depends on filing status and deductions.