Weekend and public holiday hours calculator
Add each shift with its date, start, finish and unpaid break, and mark any public holidays in the period. The hours come out split into Monday to Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday, which is how award penalty rates are laid out.
| Date | Start | Finish | Unpaid break | Hours | Remove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| min | |||||
| min | |||||
| min | |||||
| min |
A worked example
A Victorian cafe’s long weekend in March 2027, with Labour Day on Monday 8 March marked as a public holiday. The Saturday shift runs from 10pm to 2:30am, and the hours are split at midnight.
| Shift | Start | Finish | Unpaid break | Mon to Fri | Saturday | Sunday | Public holiday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 5 Mar | 16:00 | 23:45 | 30 min | 7h 15m | |||
| Sat 6 Mar | 22:00 | 02:30 | none | 2h 0m | 2h 30m | ||
| Sun 7 Mar | 09:00 | 15:00 | 30 min | 5h 30m | |||
| Mon 8 Mar | 09:00 | 17:00 | 30 min | 7h 30m | |||
| Total | 7h 15m | 2h 0m | 8h 0m | 7h 30m |
Kept on the day it starts, the Saturday shift counts 4h 30m on Saturday and Sunday comes to 5h 30m. The total is 24h 45m, or 24.75 hours, either way.
How it is worked out
Each shift is the minutes from start to finish, less its unpaid break. Split at midnight, the minutes before midnight belong to the day the shift starts and the rest to the next day, and the break comes off the part before midnight first.
Each part then goes to Monday to Friday, Saturday, Sunday or public holiday by its date, and a date marked as a public holiday counts as one whatever the weekday. Totals stay in minutes until the end: total minutes ÷ 60, to two decimal places.
What this tool cannot tell you
- Which award or agreement applies, and the rate for each kind of day
- Whether your award counts a shift past midnight by the day it starts or splits it
- Evening, late night or early morning penalties within a day
- Public holiday dates, which differ by state and territory and which you mark yourself
Questions
How are Saturday and Sunday hours counted for an overnight shift?
You choose. Split at midnight puts the hours before midnight on the day the shift starts and the rest on the next day. Whole shift on its start day keeps every hour on the day it began. Awards differ on this, so check yours.
Does a public holiday on a weekday count as a weekday?
No. A date you mark as a public holiday is counted as a public holiday, whatever day of the week it falls on.
Which part of an overnight shift does the unpaid break come off?
The part before midnight first, and anything left over from the part after. If you know the break was taken after midnight, enter the shift as two rows instead.
Does this calculator work out penalty rates?
No. It sorts the hours by the kind of day. The rate for each kind of day comes from the award or agreement, and you apply it yourself.