Quick answer: with quarter-hour rounding, minutes 1 to 7 past a quarter round down and 8 to 14 round up: 8:07 becomes 8:00, 8:08 becomes 8:15. With 6-minute rounding, 1 to 2 minutes round down and 3 to 5 round up.
The 7-minute rule
With quarter-hour rounding, punches 1 to 7 minutes past a quarter hour round down and 8 to 14 minutes round up. Clocking in at 8:07 counts as 8:00; at 8:08, as 8:15. Rounding that always favors the employer is not allowed.
To see rounding applied to a full week of punches, set the same rule in the time clock calculator.
7-minute rule chart
Minutes past any quarter hour, rounded to the nearest 15 minutes:
| Minutes past | Result |
|---|---|
| :00 | rounds down to :00 |
| :01 | rounds down to :00 |
| :02 | rounds down to :00 |
| :03 | rounds down to :00 |
| :04 | rounds down to :00 |
| :05 | rounds down to :00 |
| :06 | rounds down to :00 |
| :07 | rounds down to :00 |
| :08 | rounds up to :15 |
| :09 | rounds up to :15 |
| :10 | rounds up to :15 |
| :11 | rounds up to :15 |
| :12 | rounds up to :15 |
| :13 | rounds up to :15 |
| :14 | rounds up to :15 |
Sources: 29 CFR 785.48. Rules checked . Found a problem? Tell us.
Questions
Is the 7-minute rule legal?
Yes under federal rules, if it is applied both ways and averages out so employees are paid for all time worked (29 CFR 785.48). Rounding that only ever favors the employer is not allowed.
Does rounding apply to breaks?
Employers apply their rounding rule to punches, which can include lunch punches. Rest breaks of 5 to 20 minutes are paid work time and should not be clocked out.