How to use the biweekly calculator
- Check that Pay period says Biweekly (2 weeks). The card shows 14 rows, and a line marks where week two starts.
- Enter the first date of your pay period, or pick the day your workweek starts. The first seven rows are week one and the next seven are week two.
- Choose how you record breaks: unpaid minutes, or clock out and in for lunch.
- Type your in and out times.
7,730,5:30pand17:30all work. Check the time shown under each box and tap it to switch AM or PM. - Choose the overtime rule. Federal checks each week on its own. 8 and 80 is for hospitals and residential care facilities only.
- Add your hourly rate for a gross pay estimate, then download the PDF or CSV for your records.
Worked example: 80 hours with 10 hours of overtime
You earn $20 an hour. Each shift is 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch. That is 10 hours 30 minutes minus 30 minutes, or 10:00 per shift.
In week one you work Monday to Wednesday: 3 × 10 = 30 hours. In week two you work Monday to Friday: 5 × 10 = 50 hours. The pay period total is 80 hours.
Week one has no overtime because 30 is under 40. Week two has 50 − 40 = 10 hours of overtime. So the two weeks split into 70 regular hours and 10 overtime hours.
Pay: 70 × $20 = $1,400.00 regular, and 10 × $30 = $300.00 overtime. The estimated gross pay is $1,700.00.
If you averaged the two weeks you would get 40 hours a week and no overtime, and you would be paid $1,600.00. That is $100 less than the hours above earn under the weekly rule. The calculator shows 70 regular, 10 overtime and $1,700.00.
| Shifts | Hours | Regular | Overtime | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Mon–Wed, 10:00 each | 30.00 | 30.00 | 0.00 |
| Week 2 | Mon–Fri, 10:00 each | 50.00 | 40.00 | 10.00 |
| Pay period | 8 shifts | 80.00 | 70.00 | 10.00 |
Overtime is per workweek, not per 80 hours
This is the most common biweekly mistake. Being paid every two weeks does not change how federal overtime is counted. Each workweek stands on its own.
The Department of Labor says it plainly: "Averaging of hours over two or more weeks is not permitted" (Fact Sheet #23). The regulation gives the same example used above. If you work 30 hours one week and 50 the next, you are owed overtime for the second week even though the average is 40 (29 CFR 778.104).
So the two-week total doesn't decide overtime. 85 hours split 45 and 40 gives 5 overtime hours. 85 hours split 50 and 35 gives 10. 80 hours split 40 and 40 gives none, but 80 split 30 and 50 gives 10. The calculator works it out from your actual days.
How the calculation works
Each day: out time minus in time, minus unpaid break minutes. With lunch punches, the calculator adds each clock-in and clock-out pair instead. A shift where the out time is at or before the in time crossed midnight, so 24 hours are added to the out time.
Each week: days 1 to 7 are week one and days 8 to 14 are week two. Under the federal rule, hours beyond 40 in a week become overtime, starting from the day the 40th hour was passed.
Decimal hours: minutes ÷ 60. 10 hours 20 minutes is 10.33. The total is converted from total minutes, so it doesn't drift from rounding each day.
Rounding: if you choose 5, 6 or 15 minutes, each punch is rounded before the day is totaled.
8 and 80: with this preset, the 14 days are one period. Hours over 8 in a day and over 80 in the period are overtime, and the 40-hour week is not used.
The 8 and 80 exception for hospitals
Hospitals and residential care establishments may use a 14-day period instead of the workweek. The employer and employee must agree to it before the work is done. The employee then gets 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 8 in any workday and over 80 in the 14 days (29 CFR 778.601).
If you don't work for that kind of employer, or you never agreed to it, use the Federal setting. The 8 and 80 setting would give a wrong answer for most jobs.
Keep a record of both weeks
Your times save in this browser as you type, so you can fill in week one on Friday and come back for week two. Nothing is sent to a server.
When the period is done, Download PDF gives you one time card with all 14 days, regular, overtime and double-time hours, the pay estimate and signature lines. Excel / CSV gives the same rows for a spreadsheet. If your paycheck looks short, compare the overtime on each week with your pay stub. A missing overtime line in a 45-hour week is the thing to ask about first.
Keep your own copy. Employers must keep time records, but your notes help if a question comes up later.
Common biweekly mistakes
- Using 80 hours as the overtime line. Federal overtime is over 40 in each workweek, not over 80 in the pay period.
- Starting the card on the wrong day. If your workweek runs Monday to Sunday, start the card on Monday so each week lines up.
- Mixing up biweekly and semimonthly. Biweekly is every two weeks, usually 26 pay periods a year. Semimonthly is twice a month, 24 pay periods, and the periods don't line up with workweeks. This calculator covers weekly and biweekly cards.
- Writing minutes as decimals. 38:45 is 38.75 hours, not 38.45.
- Forgetting the second week's AM and PM. Check the read-back under each box on all 14 rows.
Legal basics
This is general information, not legal advice. The calculator gives an estimate, and your employer's records and your state's law decide your pay.
Under the FLSA, covered nonexempt workers get at least 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. A workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours. It can start on any day and at any hour, but once set it stays fixed (29 CFR 778.105, DOL overtime).
Some states add daily overtime. If you work in California, use the California overtime calculator.
Questions
Is overtime calculated weekly or biweekly?
Under federal law, weekly. Each workweek is checked on its own, even when you are paid every two weeks. The only exception is the agreed 8 and 80 system for hospitals and residential care facilities.
Can my employer average my hours over two weeks?
Not for federal overtime. The Department of Labor says averaging hours over two or more weeks is not permitted. A 30-hour week does not cancel out a 50-hour week.
How many hours is a full-time biweekly pay period?
At 40 hours a week, a biweekly pay period is 80 hours. Over a year that is usually 26 pay periods, or 2,080 hours.
Is it overtime if I work more than 80 hours in two weeks?
Not by itself. What matters is whether either week went over 40. 41 and 41 hours gives 2 overtime hours. The calculator splits it for you.
What is the difference between biweekly and semimonthly?
Biweekly is every other week, usually 26 paychecks a year. Semimonthly is twice a month, often on fixed dates, which makes 24 paychecks a year.
How do I add up hours for two weeks?
Total each day as out time minus in time minus unpaid breaks. Add days 1 to 7 for week one and days 8 to 14 for week two. Check overtime for each week, then add both weeks.
My workweek starts on Wednesday. Does that matter?
Yes. Overtime is counted per workweek, so the card must start on your workweek's first day. Set Week starts to Wednesday, or enter the first date of the period.
Can I save my biweekly time card as a PDF?
Yes. Download PDF creates a time card with all 14 days, weekly overtime split, totals and signature lines. You can also export a CSV for Excel.