diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
index ad9d252e6..bcdd5441e 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/main/java/org/navalplanner/business/workingday/EffortDuration.java
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@
 
 package org.navalplanner.business.workingday;
 
+import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.util.EnumMap;
+import java.util.Map.Entry;
 
 import org.apache.commons.lang.Validate;
 
@@ -184,4 +186,16 @@ public class EffortDuration implements Comparable<EffortDuration> {
         return new EffortDuration(seconds - duration.seconds);
     }
 
+    public BigDecimal toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(int scale) {
+        BigDecimal result = BigDecimal.ZERO;
+        final BigDecimal secondsPerHour = new BigDecimal(3600);
+        for (Entry<Granularity, Integer> each : decompose().entrySet()) {
+            BigDecimal seconds = new BigDecimal(each.getKey().toSeconds(
+                    each.getValue()));
+            result = result.add(seconds.divide(secondsPerHour, scale,
+                    BigDecimal.ROUND_HALF_UP));
+        }
+        return result;
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
index 1bc0aaff3..e1fef0434 100644
--- a/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
+++ b/navalplanner-business/src/test/java/org/navalplanner/business/test/workingday/EffortDurationTest.java
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.hours;
 import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.minutes;
 import static org.navalplanner.business.workingday.EffortDuration.seconds;
 
+import java.math.BigDecimal;
 import java.util.EnumMap;
 
 import org.junit.Test;
@@ -161,4 +162,30 @@ public class EffortDurationTest {
         assertThat(hours(2).minus(minutes(60)), equalTo(hours(1)));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void canConvertToDecimalHours() {
+        EffortDuration duration = hours(1).and(30, Granularity.MINUTES);
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(1), equalTo(new BigDecimal("1.5")));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void theScaleIsTheOneProvided() {
+        EffortDuration duration = hours(1).and(30, Granularity.MINUTES);
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(1).scale(), equalTo(1));
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(2).scale(), equalTo(2));
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(3).scale(), equalTo(3));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void anHalfUpRoundIsDone() {
+        // 3601/3600 = 1.000277778
+        EffortDuration duration = hours(1).and(1, Granularity.SECONDS);
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(6), equalTo(new BigDecimal(
+                "1.000278")));
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(5),
+                equalTo(new BigDecimal("1.00028")));
+        assertThat(duration.toHoursAsDecimalWithScale(4),
+                equalTo(new BigDecimal("1.0003")));
+    }
+
 }