I am a student and I only work on weekends. Most weeks I work eight hours on Saturday and Sunday. Two weeks ago one of the other staff was on vacation, and I was scheduled in for two twelve hour shifts. I worked both shifts thinking I would get four hours from each day for a total of eight overtime hours. I did not receive any overtime pay. Am I entitled to any overtime pay?

It depends on the kind of work you do.

In general, except as noted below, overtime is all hours worked in excess of:

• eight hours a day, or
• 44 hours a week,

Overtime hours are to be calculated both on a daily and on a weekly basis. The higher of the two numbers is overtime hours worked in the week. All employees, including those who are paid a weekly, monthly, or annual salary, must be paid overtime pay for overtime hours they work.

However, a number of industries and occupations are subject to variations in daily and weekly hours worked before overtime is payable (for example: workers in the logging, trucking and taxi cab industries). In addition, various employees (such as employees on a farm or a ranch and various types of salespersons) are exempt from the overtime rule. For complete lists, please click here.

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WARNING: The contents of these FAQs are intended as general legal information only.
If you have a personal problem, please consult a lawyer.