Overtime Basics for Hourly Employees
As an hourly worker, you are almost certainly entitled to overtime pay. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), any non-exempt employee who works more than 40 hours in a single workweek must receive overtime compensation at 1.5 times their regular hourly rate.
This applies regardless of your industry, job title, or whether you work full-time or part-time. The key factor is the total number of hours worked in a given workweek.
How Your Overtime Pay Is Calculated
The calculation is straightforward for hourly workers. See our detailed step-by-step guide or the formula reference for full details.
Calculate Your Overtime Pay Now
Use our free tool to instantly compute your regular pay, overtime, and total earnings.
Know Your Rights
As an hourly worker, the law provides you with strong overtime protections:
- You cannot be asked to waive overtime pay
- Your employer must track your hours and keep records
- You must be paid for all hours worked, including unauthorized overtime
- You are protected from retaliation for filing overtime complaints
- Some states have daily overtime rules — check your state-specific rules
Common Situations
Working two shifts in one day
All hours count toward your weekly total. Working a double shift may push you over 40 for the week.
Called in on your day off
Those hours are added to your weekly total. If you exceed 40 hours, the extra hours qualify for overtime.
Working through lunch
If you work during a meal break (even if unpaid), those hours must be counted and compensated.