You finish your day and wonder how many hours you have actually worked. Between lunch breaks, a staggered departure in the morning, and a variable end to the day, the total quickly becomes unclear. Calculating your working hours accurately requires a clear method, not a complicated spreadsheet.
Why a simple time record is no longer sufficient in case of disputes
Many employees note their hours in a notebook or a basic Excel file. This reflex is useful, but it does not always protect them in case of disagreement with the employer.
In a ruling dated September 2, 2026 (n° 25-16.106), the Court of Cassation specified that an imperfect time sheet can be admissible before the labor courts if the record is sufficiently precise. The employee does not have to prove each hour alone: it is then up to the employer to produce their own control elements.
This sharing of the burden of proof changes the game. A record that mixes travel time and actual working hours, for example, is not automatically dismissed. On the other hand, a record that is too vague or inconsistent weakens the claim. Hence the importance of relying on the Ecostart calculation method to structure your tracking from the start.
Another point to remember: paid leave can now be included in the calculation of overtime hours. A ruling dated September 10, 2025 (n° 23-14.455) ruled that paid leave days count towards assessing the weekly threshold for triggering overtime pay. An employee who takes two days off in a week and works intensively for the remaining three days can therefore reach the overtime threshold faster than before.
Calculating your working hours per day: the correct sequence
Let’s take a concrete example. You arrive at 8:30 AM, take a 45-minute lunch break, and leave at 5:15 PM. The instinct would be to do 5:15 PM minus 8:30 AM, which equals 8 hours and 45 minutes, then subtract the break.
The daily calculation always follows three steps: end time minus start time, then subtract the break time. Here: 8 hours 45 minutes minus 45 minutes of break gives 8 hours of actual work.
Did you notice that the difficulty is not the operation itself? The trap is knowing what counts as actual working time and what does not.
What is excluded from actual working time
The Labor Code (article L3121-1) defines actual working time as the period during which the employee is at the employer’s disposal, without being able to attend to personal matters. Specifically, here is what is generally excluded:
- The commute, even if it is long or required by the employer in some cases
- The time spent getting dressed and undressed, unless wearing a uniform is required and the change occurs at the workplace
- Breaks during which the employee can freely leave their post
- On-call periods without actual intervention
Be careful with on-call duties: a ruling dated May 14, 2025 (n° 24-14.319) confirmed that an on-call duty can become fully actual working time if the imposed constraints prevent the employee from freely attending to their personal matters. Each situation is judged on a case-by-case basis.
Converting hours to decimal for the payslip
Your payslip does not display 7 hours 45 minutes. It displays 7.75 hours. This decimal conversion is the source of most calculation errors, especially when adding up several days.
The principle is simple: divide the minutes by 60 to obtain the decimal fraction. 30 minutes become 0.50. 15 minutes become 0.25. 45 minutes become 0.75.
Where it gets complicated is with less round durations. 20 minutes, for example, give 0.33 (rounded). Over an entire week, these successive roundings can create a discrepancy of several tens of minutes if not managed correctly.
Tip to check your weekly total
First, add your hours and minutes in the standard time format. Only convert the final total to decimal. This way, you avoid the accumulation of intermediate roundings.
Example: if your week totals 38 hours 20 minutes, the decimal calculation is 38 + (20 ÷ 60) = 38.33 hours. If you had converted each day separately and added the rounded decimals, you might have ended up with 38.30 or 38.35.
Days off: the tracking that is often missing for executives
Executives on a days-off contract do not count their hours in the traditional sense. Their contract sets a number of working days per year. In theory, the counting is simpler. In practice, it is a minefield.
Two rulings dated March 11, 2025, reminded that a days-off agreement can be rendered ineffective if the employer does not implement real tracking of the employee’s workload, health, and rest. The employee can then claim payment for overtime calculated according to the common law regime.
Why is this point so often overlooked? Because the days-off contract gives an illusion of simplicity. No clocking in, no daily record. The risk is very real for both the employer and the employee.
An executive who wants to protect themselves has every interest in keeping a personal record of their working days, even if it’s just a rough one. The legal maximum duration (48 hours per week, 44 hours on average over 12 consecutive weeks) still applies, whether on a days-off contract or not.
Overtime: the thresholds for increased pay to know
Hours beyond 35 hours per week trigger increased pay. The mechanism is progressive:
- From the 36th to the 43rd hour: 25% increase on the hourly rate
- From the 44th hour: 50% increase
- Beyond 220 overtime hours per year (annual limit per employee), the employer must consult the CSE and provide mandatory compensation in time off
The monthly reference calculation is based on the formula (35 × 52) ÷ 12, which equals 151.67 hours per month. This figure appears on most payslips for full-time work.
Keeping a precise record of your hours each week allows you to immediately spot any excess. Waiting until the end of the month to reconstruct your hours from memory exposes you to forgetfulness and disputes that are impossible to resolve.
