Here's a question that trips up many time trackers: If you worked from 9 AM to 5 PM with a one-hour lunch break, how many hours did you work?
The answer depends on who's asking. Your calendar says 8 hours. Your actual work time is 7 hours. Both are correct—they're just measuring different things.
Timesheet handles this elegantly with two duration modes, plus powerful break tracking features that ensure your records are always accurate.
Total Duration vs. Relative Duration
This is the most important concept to understand in Timesheet:
Total Duration
The entire time span from start to finish, including all breaks.
Example: Start at 9:00, finish at 17:00 = 8 hours total
Use when:
- Calculating on-site time
- Billing for presence (some consulting arrangements)
- Tracking availability windows
Relative Duration
Only the actual working time, with breaks subtracted.
Example: Start at 9:00, finish at 17:00, 1-hour break = 7 hours relative
Use when:
- Billing for actual work performed
- Tracking productive time
- Meeting legal working hour requirements
How to Switch Between Views
- Go to Settings
- Find Duration Display or similar
- Choose your preferred default
- This setting affects how durations appear throughout the app
You can also see both values in task details and reports.
Manual Break Entry
The most straightforward way to track breaks is manually using the pause/resume function.
Using Pause/Resume
- When you start a break, tap PAUSE
- The timer continues running but marks this time as a break
- When you return, tap RESUME
- Your break is automatically recorded
Adding Breaks After the Fact
Forgot to pause? You can add breaks to completed tasks:
- Open the task
- Find the Breaks or Pauses section
- Tap Add Break
- Enter the start and end time
- Save
This is perfect for reconstructing your day if you forgot to track breaks in real-time.
Multiple Breaks Per Task
A single task can have multiple breaks:
- Morning coffee break
- Lunch break
- Afternoon stretch break
Each is recorded separately, and the total break time is subtracted from your relative duration.
Setting Up Automatic Pauses
For predictable break patterns, you can configure automatic pauses that add breaks to your tasks at regular intervals.
How Automatic Pauses Work
You configure a rule like: "Every 4 hours, add a 30-minute break."
When a task runs for 4+ hours, Timesheet automatically adds a 30-minute break. This is useful for:
- Complying with labor law requirements
- Ensuring consistent break documentation
- Simplifying record-keeping for long work sessions
Setting Up Automatic Pauses
- Go to Settings
- Find Automatic Pauses or Break Rules
- Configure:
- Work interval: How long before a break triggers (e.g., every 4 hours)
- Break duration: How long the automatic break should be (e.g., 30 minutes)
- Save
Important Notes About Automatic Pauses
- These are scheduled pauses, not detected breaks
- They add break time at fixed intervals
- You can adjust or remove them manually on individual tasks
- They work alongside manual pauses
Configuring Break Settings Per Project
Different projects may have different break requirements:
- A client project might require documented lunch breaks
- Internal work might be more flexible
- Certain industries have specific break regulations
Project-Level Break Settings
- Open the project settings
- Look for Break Configuration or similar
- Configure:
- Default break behavior
- Automatic pause rules specific to this project
- Whether breaks affect billing
Viewing Break Reports
Understanding your break patterns helps optimize your workday:
In Task Details
Open any task to see:
- Total duration (including breaks)
- Relative duration (excluding breaks)
- Individual break entries with times
In Statistics
The statistics view can show:
- Average break time per day
- Break time as percentage of work time
- Trends in break patterns over time
In Exports
When exporting data, you can include:
- Separate columns for total and relative duration
- Individual break entries
- Break time totals
Legal Considerations
Many jurisdictions have laws about required breaks:
Germany: 30 minutes after 6 hours, 45 minutes after 9 hours USA: Varies by state; federal law doesn't require breaks for adults UK: 20 minutes for work over 6 hours EU: At least one break for workdays over 6 hours
Accurate break tracking helps demonstrate compliance. Consult your local labor laws for specific requirements.
Pro Tips for Better Break Tracking
Set Reminders
Use phone alarms or app notifications to remind you to take (and track) breaks.
Be Consistent
Track breaks the same way every day. Consistency makes your data more useful.
Use Breaks for Actual Breaks
Don't mark bathroom trips or quick coffee refills as breaks. Reserve break time for genuine rest periods.
Review Weekly
Check your break patterns weekly. Are you taking enough breaks? Too many? Adjust accordingly.
Consider Your Industry
Some clients care about total time on-site. Others only care about productive time. Know your billing context.
Common Questions
What if I forget to resume after a break? You can edit the task later to adjust the break end time. Just open the task, find the break entry, and correct the times.
Can I delete a break? Yes. Open the task, find the break, and remove it. This increases your relative duration.
Do breaks affect my hourly rate calculations? By default, earnings are calculated on relative duration (actual work time). You can see both values in reports.
Can automatic pauses be project-specific? Yes. Configure different automatic pause rules for different projects in their individual settings.
Summary
Understanding break tracking ensures your time records are accurate:
- Total Duration: Full time span including breaks
- Relative Duration: Actual working time excluding breaks
- Manual Pauses: Pause/resume for real-time break tracking
- Add Breaks Later: Edit tasks to add forgotten breaks
- Automatic Pauses: Scheduled breaks at regular intervals
Accurate break tracking isn't just about compliance—it's about understanding how you actually spend your work time.
What's Next?
Now that you understand break tracking:
- Configure your default duration view in Settings
- Set up automatic pauses if you have regular break patterns
- Review your break data in Statistics to optimize your workday
Start tracking breaks accurately today, and you'll always know exactly how many hours you're really working.