A fifteen-minute break
Fifteen minutes is the classic coffee break. In the US, the federal Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require breaks, but when an employer offers short rest breaks of about 5 to 20 minutes, they count as hours worked and must be paid (29 CFR 785.18). Some states set their own rules, so check your state’s labor department for what applies to you. Start the timer when you step away; the ping at two minutes left gives you time to get back before the alarm.
In the Pomodoro Technique, the long break after four 25-minute work blocks is 15 to 30 minutes, so this timer also fits there.
Fifteen-minute meetings
The Scrum Guide (2020) sets the Daily Scrum at 15 minutes, held at the same time and place every working day. Share your screen with the timer in full screen (press F) or keep it on a laptop facing the team. The Bar display fits well at the bottom of a shared screen, and the overtime counter after the alarm shows how far a meeting ran over.
Focused tasks
Fifteen minutes is also a useful block for a task you have been putting off: answer the emails, clear the desk, draft the first paragraph. The timer runs exactly even when its tab is in the background, and the tab title shows the time left, so you can work in another window and still keep an eye on it.
Tips
Press + to add a minute, Space to pause and R to reset. For longer sessions, the 30 minute timer warns five minutes before the end.