Can the opening balance itself be negative?

Yes, if the actual starting point already reflects an overdrawn account, enter that negative opening balance directly and the running total continues from there.

Does the order entries are typed in matter?

No, every entry is sorted by its own date before the running balance is computed, so the typed order has no effect on the result.

Comp Time Calculator

Enter an opening balance and a list of dated entries, each with hours earned and hours used. See the running balance and, if it ever goes negative, exactly which entry that happened on.

Aggregating worked hours across a period instead of tracking a balance? See Timesheet Period Calculator.

Want to learn more?

Why Timesheet Period Boundaries Must Be Explicit

Worked example

An opening balance of 10 hours, followed by a 5-hour earning entry that brings the running balance to 15 hours, then a 20-hour usage entry, ends at a final balance of negative 5 hours, flagged directly as having gone negative rather than silently floored at zero. Add one more earning entry of 8 hours after that point and the balance recovers to positive 3 hours, tracked the same running way, entry by entry, in date order. Every entry, whether it earns or uses comp time, is applied in the order its own date puts it in, never in the order it happened to be typed into the form, which keeps the running balance accurate even if entries are added out of sequence.

Common mistakes

Entering entries out of date order and expecting the balance history to reflect the typed order. Entries are always sorted by their own date first, regardless of the order they were entered in the form.
Assuming a negative balance is rejected outright. It is not. The calculator allows the running balance to go negative and flags it plainly, since a real comp time account can genuinely be overdrawn.

Limitations

This tracks a running balance from the opening amount and the entries you provide. It makes no determination about comp time eligibility, any accrual cap, or a specific workplace policy governing how comp time may be earned or used.

Frequently asked questions

Can the opening balance itself be negative?: Yes, if the actual starting point already reflects an overdrawn account, enter that negative opening balance directly and the running total continues from there.
Does the order entries are typed in matter?: No, every entry is sorted by its own date before the running balance is computed, so the typed order has no effect on the result.