The Federal Overtime Rule in Plain English
The Fair Labor Standards Act says: if you’re a non-exempt employee and you work more than 40 hours in a single workweek, your employer must pay you 1.5× your regular hourly rate for every hour above 40. This 'time and a half' has been federal law since 1938. It applies regardless of whether you’re paid weekly, biweekly, or by any other pay period.
Overtime Quick Reference: Common Hourly Rates
Overtime rates and annual income from 10 weekly overtime hours
| Your Regular Rate | Your OT Rate (1.5×) | Per OT Hour Extra | 10 OT Hrs/Week Annual Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15/hr | $22.50/hr | +$7.50 | +$3,900/yr |
| $18/hr | $27.00/hr | +$9.00 | +$4,680/yr |
| $22/hr | $33.00/hr | +$11.00 | +$5,720/yr |
| $28/hr | $42.00/hr | +$14.00 | +$7,280/yr |
| $35/hr | $52.50/hr | +$17.50 | +$9,100/yr |
How to Identify If You’re Owed Overtime
- Did you work more than 40 hours in any single workweek?
- Are you paid hourly, or salaried but under $684/week?
- Are you not a manager, professional, or administrative worker with significant independent judgment?
- If you answered yes to the first two and no to the third: you likely qualify for overtime
Don’t rely solely on your employer’s time records. Keep a personal log: start and end times, lunch breaks taken, any work done from home. This is critical evidence if you ever need to dispute your pay. A simple smartphone notes app or spreadsheet works — update it daily while memory is fresh.
What Your Paycheck Should Show
Look for: (1) Regular hours (should show 40 max unless your OT starts at a different threshold by agreement); (2) Overtime hours listed separately; (3) OT rate should be exactly 1.5× your base rate; (4) The math should check out: (40 × base rate) + (OT hours × OT rate) = your gross pay. If the math doesn’t work, ask your employer for clarification.
Calculate What Your Overtime Hours Are Worth
Enter your hourly rate and total hours worked to verify your gross overtime pay.