Field notes
A clearer way to count your day.
Short guides, useful examples, and no payroll guesswork.
How to Calculate Hours After Unpaid Lunch
Step-by-step guide to calculate work hours after an unpaid lunch break. Separate time on site from paid time, with a worked example for U.S. hourly workers.
Read guide Field guideHow to Calculate an Overnight Shift
How to calculate overnight shift hours that cross midnight. Use explicit calendar dates to make overnight time unambiguous for U.S. hourly workers.
Read guide Field guideWhy 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 hours, not 7.30
Why 7 hours 30 minutes is 7.5 hours, not 7.30. A practical guide to base-60 minutes, decimal hours, and display rounding for U.S. timecards.
Read guide Field guideHow to Find Your Clock-Out Time
How to find your clock-out time from a paid-hours target. Add paid time and unpaid breaks without shortening the shift. Guide for U.S. hourly workers.
Read guide Field guideHow to total several work periods in one day
How to add multiple work periods in one day for a split-shift timecard. Build a timecard without overlaps or double-counted breaks for U.S. workers.
Read guide Field guideHow to Print & Export a Weekly Timecard
How to print, export CSV, and save a weekly timecard. Choose a paper copy, spreadsheet export, or a private device-local draft for U.S. timecards.
Read guide Field guide4×10 vs 3×12 vs 9/80 vs 5×8 Pay Comparison
Compare compressed work schedules side by side. See weekly hours, annual hours, extra days off, and pay differences. U.S. workers.
Read guide Field guideHow to Calculate Your Freelance Hourly Rate
Step-by-step guide to calculating the right hourly rate for U.S. freelancers and contractors. Cover expenses, taxes, and profit.
Read guide Field guideFreelance Taxes: SE Tax & Quarterly Payments
Understand self-employment tax, federal income tax, and quarterly estimated payments for U.S. freelancers and 1099 contractors.
Read guide Field guideBillable Hours Guide for U.S. Freelancers
How to calculate and maximize your billable hours. Practical tips for U.S. freelancers and contractors to improve utilization.
Read guide Field guideHow to Calculate Freelance Project Profit
Calculate your true profit margin on fixed-price freelance projects. Account for time, expenses, and platform fees.
Read guide Field guideIs Health Insurance Deductible on a 1099?
Yes — 1099 contractors can deduct 100% of health insurance premiums through the self-employed health insurance deduction. Learn eligibility, limits, and how to claim it.
Read guide Field guideHealth Insurance Between Jobs: A Guide for Hourly Workers
What happens to your health insurance when you quit or lose a job. COBRA, marketplace special enrollment, and coverage gaps for U.S. hourly workers.
Read guide Field guideNo Tax on Overtime Explained: 2025–2028 Deduction
How the No Tax on Overtime rule works under the OBBBA: what qualifies, the $12,500 / $25,000 caps, phase-outs, and how to claim it on your tax return.
Read guide Field guideHow to Calculate Your Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction
How to calculate your self-employed health insurance deduction: premiums, net profit, eligible months, worked example, and Form 7206 tax savings.
Read guide Field guideCOBRA 60-Day Election Deadline: How the Window Works
You have 60 days to elect COBRA after losing job coverage — from the later of coverage ending or your election notice. First payment is due in 45 days.
Read guide Field guideBest Health Insurance for Self-Employed Workers (2026)
Best health insurance for self-employed workers in 2026: marketplace plans with subsidies for most, plus spouse plans, HSA HDHPs, and Medicaid — ranked.
Read guide Field guideHealth Insurance Cost: Percent of Income and Hours of Work
How much of your paycheck goes to health insurance? In 2026 marketplace premiums take 4-11% of income — about 1.6-4.3 hours per week at $25/hour.
Read guide Field guideW-2 vs 1099: Hourly Rate After Health Insurance
W-2 vs 1099 hourly rate after health insurance: why a $30/hr job and a $40/hr contract can pay the same — and how to compare offers correctly.
Read guide Field guideRideshare Insurance in Florida: Cost, Requirements (2026)
Rideshare insurance in Florida costs $10-30/month as an endorsement. F.S. 627.748 rules, the Period 1 gap, and hours of work to pay it - free calculator.
Read guide Field guideRideshare Insurance in California: Requirements, Cost (2026)
California rideshare insurance: $1M TNC liability, SB 371 UM/UIM cut to $60,000/$300,000 in 2026, endorsement costs, and the Period 1 gap explained.
Read guide Field guideRideshare Insurance in Texas: Cost, Chapter 1954 Rules
Rideshare insurance in Texas costs $15-60/month as an endorsement. Chapter 1954 three-period rules, the Period 1 gap, and Schedule C deductions.
Read guide Field guideRideshare Insurance in New York: $1.25M Rules, Cost
Rideshare insurance in New York: $1.25M liability on-trip - 25x the personal minimum - and the highest insurance share of fares in the US (33%).
Read guide Field guideRideshare Insurance in Illinois: Cost and TNC Rules
Illinois rideshare insurance: Public Act 99-0056 sets 50/100/25 waiting and $1M on-trip coverage. Cost, Period 1 gap, and tax deductions for drivers.
Read guide Field guideRideshare Insurance in Pennsylvania: Only $500K On-Trip
Pennsylvania rideshare insurance requires only $500,000 on-trip - the lowest state minimum. Know the Period 1 gap, costs, and deductible rules.
Read guideWhat these guides cover
Each guide walks through a real scenario with actual numbers. You will see the same arithmetic the calculators use, laid out step by step. The worked examples use common U.S. schedules: a standard 9-to-5, overnight shifts that cross midnight, split shifts, and compressed workweeks.
Most guides address a single question. How do you subtract an unpaid lunch from total time on site? How does a 12-hour overnight shift map to two calendar dates? What happens to your weekly pay when you switch from five 8-hour days to four 10-hour days? The answers follow plain arithmetic that you can verify with a pencil.
The guides also point out where state rules change the math. California, Alaska, and Nevada require daily overtime after 8 hours for most nonexempt workers. Colorado requires daily overtime after 12 consecutive hours. Federal law under the FLSA only requires weekly overtime after 40 hours. A guide that discusses daily overtime will note which states apply it.
How to use a guide
Read the scenario that matches your question. Follow the worked example with your own numbers. Then open the linked calculator if you want a quick result without doing the arithmetic by hand. The calculators use the same formulas described in each guide.
If a guide does not cover your exact situation, check the calculation methodology for the underlying rules. You can also contact the maintainer with a specific question. Include the tool name, a nonpersonal example, and the result you expected.
Shift patterns at a glance
Compare common work schedules: hours per day, days per week, weekly hours, and overtime rules by state.