The Redcort Free Time Card Calculator is an online tool that totals daily and weekly work hours (including break deductions) and converts between hours/minutes and decimal hours for payroll and reporting.

How to use the Redcort Free Time Card Calculator — Step-by-step guide

Why this calculator matters

Accurate time tracking matters for payroll, compliance and fair pay. The Redcort Free Time Card Calculator replicates the familiar Redcort functionality in a compact widget you can drop into a WordPress site. It lets employees enter clock-in and clock-out times, apply break deductions, and instantly see daily totals, a weekly sum, and a visual summary powered by Plotly.js.

What the calculator does (quick overview)

Enter start and stop times for each workday and any unpaid break minutes. The calculator:

• Computes daily worked hours (hours + minutes → decimal).
• Displays a bar chart of hours per day and a cumulative week line.
• Shows the weekly total in both HH:MM and decimal formats.
• Exports printable timesheet data.

Step 1 — Add the calculator to your WordPress page

1. In WordPress, add a Custom HTML block (or paste into a theme template).
2. Paste the HTML/JS snippet provided (it uses Plotly CDN and is self-contained).
3. The widget is responsive with a max-width of 800px so it fits between two sidebars.

Step 2 — Enter times and breaks

Use the input rows for Monday through Sunday:

• Enter clock-in and clock-out times using 24-hour or 12-hour format with AM/PM.
• Add total unpaid break minutes for the day.
• For overnight shifts, set the clock-out time on the next day (the calculator handles wrapping).

Step 3 — Calculate and interpret results

Click Calculate:

• Each day’s total appears in hours:minutes and decimal hours.
• The weekly total appears at the bottom in both formats.
• The Plotly chart updates to show daily bars and a cumulative line so you can instantly spot long shifts or anomalies.

Tips for accurate results

• Always enter break time as minutes (e.g., 30 for 30 minutes).
• If you use clock rounding, perform rounding before entering values (this widget shows exact elapsed time).
• For multi-interval days (two shifts separated by a major break), add the net total manually into the “break minutes” field by subtracting the second shift start/stop gap — or use the advanced version which supports multiple intervals per day.

Understanding decimal hours

Payroll systems often require decimal hours (e.g., 7.50 hours for 7 hours 30 minutes). This calculator converts HH:MM to decimal with two decimal places for accurate payroll import.

Visual analysis with Plotly

The embedded Plotly visualization gives:

• Daily bars representing worked hours (height = hours).
• A cumulative line illustrating how weekly totals progress day-by-day.
  This visual helps managers spot overtime trends and balance workloads across a week.

Accessibility and responsive sizing

The widget defaults to a white background and is sized for the typical WordPress content column: it is responsive, max-width 800px, and will shrink to fit narrow mobile views so it sits cleanly between sidebars or alongside other content.

Printing and exporting

Use the Print button to open a print dialog with a formatted timesheet. Data can be copied to clipboard for payroll import or saved as a screenshot.

Security and privacy

No data leaves the page — calculations run locally in the visitor’s browser. This keeps employee times private and avoids posting sensitive data to external servers.

Troubleshooting and advanced suggestions

If results look incorrect, first check time formats and AM/PM values. Overnight shifts are a common source of error — ensure the stop time logically follows the start time (the calculator treats a stop earlier than start as next-day). For users who need payroll-ready exports, I recommend copying the weekly decimal total into your payroll import template or extending the widget to produce a CSV file with daily decimal values. Developers embedding this tool in WordPress can further improve usability by storing form values in localStorage between visits. Happy accurate timekeeping.

Disclaimer

This calculator is provided as an informational tool and convenience. It is not legal, tax, or payroll advice. Employers should verify calculations against local labor laws and payroll systems prior to payroll submission. Use at your own risk.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can the calculator handle overtime rules?

A: The basic widget totals hours and does not enforce overtime rules. You can visually spot overtime and export totals to apply rule-based calculations in payroll. Consider integrating with payroll software or upgrading the widget to include rules if needed.

Q: Does it support multiple shifts per day?

A: The default layout supports one start/stop per day. For multiple shifts, either manually compute the net daily total and enter it as hours and minutes, or request an enhanced version that allows multiple intervals.

Q: Will the calculator store employee data?

A: No. All computation happens locally in the browser; no storage or server calls are made unless you implement a back-end to capture results.

Q: Is the calculator mobile-friendly?

A: Yes. It is responsive and will resize to fit mobile screens while maintaining readability.

Q: How accurate is the decimal conversion?

A: The conversion rounds to two decimal places by default to match common payroll imports. You can change the rounding precision in the script if you prefer more decimals.

Q: Is this calculator compatible with my payroll system?

A: Most payroll systems accept decimal hours or HH:MM. Use the displayed decimal value or copy the printable timesheet into your payroll input. For CSV export support, the tool can be extended.