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How to Convert Mechanical Time to Minutes

If you punch into work using a time clock, the odds are that your hours are recorded in what is sometimes called "mechanical time." Mechanical time doesn't use minutes. Instead, partial hours are recorded using decimals. For example, if you work eight-and-a-half hours, your hours will be recorded as "8.50." This makes it easier to add up hours using a calculator or spreadsheet.

Instructions

- 1
  Use only the decimal portion of the mechanical time to do the conversion. If you are trying to convert 5.38 hours from mechanical time to regular time, for example, you only need to convert the ".38" part of the figure.
- 2
  Multiply the decimal portion by 60 minutes to find out the number of minutes. For example, .38 hours times 60 equals 23 minutes.
- 3
  Recombine the hours with the minutes. If you started with 5.38 hours in mechanical time, you would end up with five hours and 23 minutes in standard time.

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