Track breaks and other non-billable time
Sandtime.io does not include a dedicated break timer, but it works well with a simple project-based approach.
Recommended setup
Create one or more non-billable projects such as:
BreaksLunchPTOInternal admin
Turn the Billable switch off on each of them. Every project starts out billable, so a project called Breaks keeps logging billable time until that switch is off.
Then report time to those projects the same way you report time to client or internal work.
What the Billable switch changes
Choosing a project on an entry sets that entry's own Billable switch from the project, so once the project is non-billable there is nothing to remember entry by entry. The switch still sits on the entry, so a one-off exception can be flipped back without touching the project.
Reports keep the three totals apart: Reported time, Billable time, and Non-billable time. Net cost and Net revenue are billable time multiplied by the hourly rate, so an hour of lunch logged against a client project does more than look untidy, it inflates that project's net revenue.
Breaks still count toward reported time. Marking them non-billable separates them from what you charge, it does not take them out of the day.
Why this approach works
- breaks remain visible in timesheets and reports,
- billable totals stay separated,
- the workflow stays consistent for everyone on the team.
Tip
If you only need one bucket, a single non-billable Breaks project is usually enough. If reporting needs are stricter, split lunch, personal time, and leave into separate non-billable projects.
Breaks your local law requires
Whether a break is paid, how long it has to be, and whether it counts as working time are set by employment law rather than by Sandtime.io, and the answer differs by country. The working time rules pages summarize the daily limits, breaks, and rest periods country by country. Sandtime.io records what you report, it does not enforce a break entitlement or check one for you.
Related
See Billable Hours in the glossary for more on tracking chargeable vs. non-chargeable time, Billable Leakage for what goes missing when work is never recorded at all, and Rest Period for the minimum time off the law guarantees between shifts.