Employee Time Cards: ST, OT and the Total Column

Q: On an employee’s time card, why don’t the ST (straight time) and OT (overtime) columns add up to match the Total column?

A: They will add up correctly, but if the Total column is set to hours and minutes (HH:MM) format it may appear as if they don’t add up because ST and OT are always shown in decimal (HH.HH) format. For example, if the total were 7:45 (7 hours and 45 minutes) with an ST of 7.50 and OT of 0.25—the ST and OT would add up to 7.75 (7 and 3/4 hours) which is the same as 7:45.

If you prefer to see the Total column also in decimal format, so it’s easier to add the columns and compare them, see the article on how to change the HH:MM and HH.HH setting.