How overtime is calculated under federal and state rules

Under federal FLSA rules, overtime usually starts after 40 hours in a single workweek. Those overtime hours must be paid at least 1.5× the regular rate of pay.

A workweek is fixed

Employers cannot average 2 weeks together to avoid overtime. Overtime is based on a fixed 168-hour workweek. If one week is 48 hours and the next is 32, the first week still has 8 overtime hours.

States can add daily rules

California is the most common example. It can trigger overtime after 8 hours in a day and double time after 12 hours in a day, even if the weekly total is not extreme. That is why California overtime often differs from a pure federal result.

Time cards and overtime belong together

Overtime depends on the actual hours worked, not just a schedule on paper. Start with the time card calculator when you need to total hours from clock-in and clock-out records, then use the overtime calculator to see the premium pay split.