Employees who work overtime should be compensated, but you may be confused about how much you are supposed to pay. There are a variety of factors that go into how much overtime your workers will receive. Here are a few things to consider.

Location

In the United States, the law is that you must pay your overtime workers one and a half times their pay once they exceed 40 hours in one work week. However, there are exceptions depending on the state where you are doing business.

States have different overtime laws, and these can affect how much you have to pay. Basically, you must pay your employees the highest amount of overtime they are entitled to, whether it is under the state’s overtime law or the federal overtime law.

In Pennsylvania, the requirement for overtime pay is simply to follow the federal law. That means hourly pay of one and a half times an employee’s typical hourly salary for every hour over 40 hours a week.

Type of Industry

Overtime rates vary by industry and other factors. Businesses that are covered by the Federal Labor Standards Act must pay time and a half to employees who work overtime unless they are considered exempt due to their salary or position. Some employees have managerial duties and are paid a salary that does not require overtime. Non-exempt employees must be paid overtime unless they fall under a specific exemption.

Some types of employees may not receive overtime pay, especially if they are highly paid professionals or are part of certain industries. The salary and job description of certain computer specialists may keep them from receiving overtime pay. Farmers, newspaper workers and criminal investigators can also fall under special rules that prohibit them from receiving overtime.

Time of Work

Overtime laws can get complicated when you consider that the time an employee works is an issue that has to be taken into consideration. An employee can work over eight hours on any given day. In most states, what matters is if he goes over 40 hours in a work week. Some states, like California, are exceptions to the general weekly approach.

Weekends and holidays are not considered a part of the work week. By law, overtime would not be required for employees who go over 40 hours on these days. However, many employees work out special arrangements with their employees so they are properly compensated for work completed outside of the work week.

Overtime laws can be difficult to understand, so make sure to research your particular business and the labor laws in the state where you reside. All employees should expect fair pay for their work.

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