Overtime Pay Calculator

The multiplier applies to the regular rate, not the base wage

Under US federal rules the regular rate includes non-discretionary bonuses, shift differentials and commissions, not just the hourly wage. Someone earning 20 an hour plus a production bonus has a regular rate above 20, and overtime at time and a half must be computed from that higher figure. Calculating from the base wage alone underpays, and it is one of the most common wage-and-hour violations.

Weekly, not daily, in most jurisdictions

Federal law requires overtime past 40 hours in a workweek and says nothing about a long single day. Working 12 hours on Monday and 28 across the rest of the week is 40 hours with no overtime owed federally. Some states impose daily thresholds — California pays time and a half past 8 hours in a day and double time past 12 — so the state rule frequently controls.

Averaging across weeks is not permitted

Each workweek stands alone. Fifty hours one week and thirty the next is ten hours of overtime, not eighty hours averaged to forty. Employers who net the two are miscalculating, and the fixed seven-day workweek must be established in advance rather than chosen after the fact.

Paid leave does not count towards the threshold

Holiday, sick and vacation hours are paid but generally not hours worked, so a week with 8 hours of holiday and 36 worked totals 44 paid hours and no overtime. This surprises people every holiday period, and it is why a bank holiday week rarely produces the overtime it appears to.

Exempt status is about duties, not salary alone

Being paid a salary does not remove overtime rights. Exemption requires meeting a salary threshold and a duties test covering executive, administrative or professional work. Misclassification — a job title implying seniority over work that is not exempt — is widespread, and back pay claims can reach years.

Double time is mostly contractual

Federal law requires only time and a half. Double time for seventh consecutive days, hours beyond twelve, or public holidays generally comes from state law or a collective agreement rather than federal requirement. The contract is where the answer lives.