Free time rounding calculator
Time clock rounding calculator (7-minute rule)
The 7-minute rule rounds punches to the nearest quarter hour: 1 to 7 minutes past rounds down, 8 to 14 minutes past rounds up. A 7:07 punch becomes 7:00 and a 7:08 punch becomes 7:15. It's legal under federal rules only if it averages out so employees are paid for all the time they work.
Round to the nearest
- Rounded punch
- 7:15 AM
- Actual punch
- 7:08 AM
- Change
- +7 min
- Rule
- 7-minute rule
Quarter-hour rounding: 1–7 minutes past rounds down, 8–14 rounds up. It's legal under 29 CFR 785.48(b) only if it averages out so employees are paid for all the time they work.
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The 7-minute rule rounding chart
Quarter-hour rounding with the 7-minute rule, from 7:00 to 7:14. The same pattern repeats every 15 minutes.
| Punch | Rounds to | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | 7:00 AM | 0 min |
| 7:01 AM | 7:00 AM | -1 min |
| 7:02 AM | 7:00 AM | -2 min |
| 7:03 AM | 7:00 AM | -3 min |
| 7:04 AM | 7:00 AM | -4 min |
| 7:05 AM | 7:00 AM | -5 min |
| 7:06 AM | 7:00 AM | -6 min |
| 7:07 AM | 7:00 AM | -7 min |
| 7:08 AM | 7:15 AM | +7 min |
| 7:09 AM | 7:15 AM | +6 min |
| 7:10 AM | 7:15 AM | +5 min |
| 7:11 AM | 7:15 AM | +4 min |
| 7:12 AM | 7:15 AM | +3 min |
| 7:13 AM | 7:15 AM | +2 min |
| 7:14 AM | 7:15 AM | +1 min |
Is time clock rounding legal?
Federal regulations (29 CFR 785.48(b)) allow rounding to the nearest 5 minutes, tenth of an hour (6 minutes) or quarter hour, as long as it's neutral: over time it must round up as often as down, so employees are paid for all the time they actually work. Rounding that only ever favors the employer — like rounding every clock-in up and every clock-out down — isn't allowed.
California is stricter in practice: its Supreme Court held in 2021 (Donohue v. AMN Services) that employers can't round meal-period punches, and courts there have been increasingly skeptical of rounding when exact punch times are recorded. This is general information, not legal advice.
Best practice
- Keep the raw punches. Round only when calculating pay, so you can always show the exact times.
- Use the same rule for clock-ins and clock-outs.
- Check periodically that rounding isn't costing employees time on average.
Read the full guide to time clock rounding rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 7-minute rule?
A way of rounding time punches to the nearest quarter hour: 1–7 minutes past the quarter hour rounds down, and 8–14 minutes rounds up to the next quarter hour. It's allowed under federal rules if it's applied neutrally.
Is 7 minutes late rounded down?
Yes, under the 7-minute rule a clock-in at 8:07 rounds to 8:00, and 8:08 rounds to 8:15. Employers can still have attendance policies about lateness, separate from pay.
Can my employer round my time down?
Only as part of a neutral rounding policy that rounds up just as often, so you're paid for all the time you work over a period. Always rounding down is not allowed.
What is 6-minute rounding?
Rounding to the nearest tenth of an hour. Punches 1–2 minutes past a tenth round down and 3–5 minutes round up, so each increment equals 0.1 hours in payroll.
Keep reading
- Time clock rounding rulesRounding punches is legal federally if it's neutral over time (29 CFR 785.48(b)). See the 7-minute rule chart, 5, 6 and 10-minute rounding, and California.
- Timesheet calculatorFree weekly timesheet calculator: enter clock-in and clock-out times with lunch breaks to get total hours, overtime and gross pay. Rounding options too.
- Minutes to decimal converterConvert minutes to decimal hours for payroll (and back), with a full chart from 1 to 60 minutes. 15 minutes = 0.25, 30 = 0.50, 45 = 0.75.
- FLSA recordkeepingFLSA recordkeeping requirements: the time and pay records 29 CFR 516 requires, how long to keep time cards (2 years) and payroll (3 years), and state rules.
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