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Double Time Labor Laws – Who Gets It and How to Calculate It

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Double time rules seem complicated because we hear a lot about it from many different places. Some companies offer double time for holidays, but that’s just a benefit, not a law. Some countries offer double time on Sundays, but that’s not how it works in the US. Double time rules are pretty simple actually. There are only two instances in which employees should get double-time pay.

Try our free overtime/double-time calculator.

Who Gets Double Time Pay?

Federal law has no requirement for double-time pay. California, however, does. Hourly employees who work long shifts or long weeks might be entitled to double-time compensation.

California Double Time Laws

California workers get double time pay in two cases:

1. When hours exceed 12 in a day

When an employee works over 12 hours in a workday, the employee should make double time for all the time worked thereafter during the workday.

2. On the seventh consecutive day, after 8 hours

When an employee works seven consecutive days, the employee is entitled to double-time pay after the first 8 hours on that seventh workday.

Statement from the California DIR:

For all hours worked in excess of 12 hours in any workday and for all hours worked in excess of eight on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.

When Double Time May Not Apply

When employees work through the end of their workday and into the next, they might not get double time even after working over 12 hours. This is because working into the next day effectively creates 2 shifts on two different workdays.

Cutting off the workday in the middle of a shift is legal as long as it is set once and then left alone. So an employer cannot reset the workday throughout the week in order to deliberately reduce double-time (or overtime). But the employer can choose to set the workday at noon if he or she pleases.

For employees who work consecutive 12 hour days, the time of the workday doesn’t really matter. If the employee works 7 hours in the morning, takes the afternoon off, and then works another 6 in the evening, the employee would still get double-time pay. The workday might be an issue for an employee who works over 12 hours from one workday into the next and then is not scheduled for another shift that day. In this situation, the employee could work 7 hours in the evening and 6 hours in the morning, cutting off the workday. If the employee doesn’t have another evening shift, the employee wouldn’t get double time. Every other day on/off schedule could cause the employee to not get double time.

Workday definition

“A workday is a consecutive 24-hour period beginning at the same time each calendar day, but it may begin at any time of day. The beginning of an employee’s workday need not coincide with the beginning of that employee’s shift, and an employer may establish different workdays for different shifts. However, once a workday is established it may be changed only if the change is intended to be permanent and the change is not designed to evade overtime obligations.” – Dir.Ca

How to Calculate Double Time

Double time kicks in after overtime already kicked in. So if an employee gets double time, they also have some overtime.

For example, an employee will work 8 hours in a given workday, paid at the regular rate of pay. All the time after 8 hours but before 12 will be paid at time and a half. After the 12th hour, time needs to be paid at double the employee’s rate of pay.

For a shift longer than 12 hours, there will be three rates of pay in an employee’s payroll calculation.

Timesheets.com is an online time tracking software that takes the headache out of double time calculations.

Let us do the double time calculations for you!

81 Responses

  1. I’m still a lil confused! If i work 7 days an don’t get a day off until my 13 day’s. Do i get my last 6 day of double overtime?

    1. You have 24 hours in a day the first eight hours at let’s say $8 equals 64 the next 4 hours until 12 hours is $12 per hour which is $48 if you work 12 hours after that then you would get 12 x 16 double pay after the 24 hours is up it starts over again

      1. If I get payed 11.75 an hour how much would I get for 4 hours ..I do 12 hours .

  2. My work day started at 5:30 a.m. till 4 p.m. making it eight hours of regular time and two hours of overtime. On that same day I was called back in at 10 p.m. to work an 8 hour shift was off at 6:30am in the morning the following day to have received an emergency Call at noon which took 7 an half hours. This is my confusion if the first 8 hours of my regular work day are paid to me in regular pay and the two hours that led to 4 p.m. are overtime and when I was asked to return back to work that same night at 10 p.m. those two hours of the beginning of the shift were considered to be overtime would it make the rest and remainder hours that I worked be considered double time?

    1. Hi Gabriel,

      The rest of those hours, after midnight, would be a new “workday” and would be paid at your straight time rate.

  3. If I worked 12 hrs in one day, went home for less than 8 hrs and start working again will I still get paid double time. Also if I work past midnight will my overtime-double time roll over till I clock out?

    1. Hi Jake. Double time is calulcated by the work day, which is a set 24 hour period. That period does not necessarily have to end at midnight. It can be set to any 24 hour period. So it is hard to answer either question without knowing the workday that is used at your place of employment. However, assuming that the workday does end at midnight, then no, the overtime/double time would not roll over into the next day.

    1. I work 20 days and 12 hours a day have 10 days off ….. My 14 days up to now my employeer cut every 2 weeks to pay me… But employeer cut my hours every week ….12× 14=168 hrs …. I Get 80 hours regular and rest overtime … It this right? State of texas

    2. I got 4 10 hour days in at regular pay rate, but not working on Saturday, but I am asked to work Sunday 8 hours does. This apply in double time or time & a half???

      1. This all depends on your company’s overtime and double time policy, and your employer should follow any overtime or double time rules that your state has. Your overtime and double time rates will also be calculated depending on the start of your work week. I would suggest speaking with your supervisor so you can understand what policy your business follows. You can find out if you get overtime and if you get double time for the hours that you work.

  4. Starting on a Tuesday (midnight to 8:30 am wed morning) through Monday and Tuesday through Friday (ending SAT am at 8:30) with a pay period change in the middle of those 11 days, will I get double time or does the pay period break start me over eliminating my opportunity for overtime and Doubletime?

  5. So if my company starts at midnight to midnight. If I work on a holiday and my company pays 1.5 for holidays. If I come in to work at 2:00 am and work to 2:00 pm on a holiday. Would I be eligible for double time for anything over 8 hours?

  6. I am not sure if you are answering questions still but it’s worth a shot to gain some clarity. First, my company does pay holiday pay and double time when applicable. On Christmas day I worked 15 hours on that work day. I was paid time and a half for all 15 hours, should i have been paid 12 hours of time and a half and 3 hours of double time?

      1. Are you located in CA? If so, this would apply to you: Since you’re in home care, your rules are as follows if you don’t live with your patients “No employee shall be required to work more than five (5) days in any one workweek without a day off of not less than 24 consecutive hours except in an emergency as defined in subsection 2(D), provided that the employee is compensated for time worked in excess of five (5) workdays in any workweek at one and one-half (1) times the employee’s regular rate of pay for hours worked up to and including nine (9) hours. Time worked in excess of nine (9) hours on the sixth (6th) and seventh (7th) workdays shall be compensated at double the employee’s regular rate of pay.“.

        1. I worked 20 consecutive days and my employer said I don’t get double time. I’m in CA

          1. I would advise that you take a look at your time card and review your time card with your HR representative.

  7. I work 12 hours a day for two weeks straight so I want to know after how many hours of time and half I should earn double time?

    1. The rules, as stated in the article, are:

      1. Hours exceeding 12 in a day

      When the hours worked in one day exceed 12, employees are paid double time for every hour worked thereafter.
      2. Seventh consecutive day

      If an employee works seven consecutive days, they are entitled to double time pay after the first 8 hours on that seventh workday.

      1. If I am working 12 hour days and have worked 14 consecutive days, what hours are considered double time?

  8. Hi Peggy,

    Quick question. Tomorrow is my 6th day in a row. I’ll be at OT (time and a half) after 4 hours tomorrow, then work 4 more until I’ll be on double time. I’m scheduled to work Sunday as well. Will that just be time and a half or double time because I’ve already crossed into OT, then started my 7th consecutive day?

    Thanks!

  9. Currently I work an amended schedule as a domestic worker in a household, amounting to four 10hr shifts per week. I just finished working a 14 hour work day. Because I have an amended schedule, I do not receive overtime until I have worked over 10 hours, rather than 8, but I am having trouble finding information on when I begin to get paid double time with this specific schedule. Any help?

  10. If i work from 8am until 6am the next day….so a 22 hour shift….Does my pay go back to the regular rate at 12am.

    1. Yes, probably. The work day might be set at a different time but it is usually 12am.

  11. I work in Maryland and have worked 12 straight days. Our pay pd runs Sunday to Saturday. I had worked 14 hours Sat and 7.25 Sunday, but again Sunday began a new work week.
    I was told by another employee that I will get double time Sunday – but my employer did not tell me that.
    So, is it law that Sundays are paid double time and what about the 14 hours Sat. would 12 be 8 reg, 4 time +1/2 and the last 2 hours be double time?
    Or am I just going to be terribly disappointed that I get none of this California special?

  12. I work sevendays in a week for the last 3 yrs in Ca.with less than 40 hours,Do I still get double time on my seventh day of work even under 40 hours ,Pls Help my curriosity thank you.

  13. Ok so my employer starts us anywhere from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. However, regardless of when we start our company clocks us out at midnight and back in at 12:01 and says that is the start of a new work day. Guys have double time on their online time cards then the company makes its creative adjustments and suddenly they have no double time even after working 14 to 16 hrs straight.

    1. Hi Ron,

      Double time is indeed calculated by the workday, which is usually set to start at midnight. If you are using timesheets.com to track time, you wouldn’t need to clock in and out. The service breaks up the workday behind the scenes. I’m guessing that they clock you in and out just to make the calculations easier. But it isn’t necessary with a more sophisticated service.

  14. Within a workweek, if I work 1 hour a day for six days, and then on the seventh day I work 8 hours, are those eight hours double time?

    Or more precisely, CA law states double time pay for working on the 7th consecutive workday, but it is not clear how much work must occur in a workday for that day to be considered as consecutive to the previous one.

    Help?

    1. I’m not sure I understand your confusion, Paul. The answer is on number 2 in this blog post.

  15. If I come in from out of state, do California double time laws still apply to me? If my company sends me out to California to work for two weeks, and I work over 12 hours, do California wage laws apply to me, or am I stuck with Illinois wage laws, because I live in Illinois?

    1. Great question! It can depend on a few things. Not knowing the specific labor laws in each state, I cannot tell you for sure but, generally, a worker is subject to the labor laws of the state in which they are performing work. Whether the state chooses to uphold their labor laws to traveling employees is within their jurisdiction so a definite answer on this is a little more complicated.

      An employment contract might be able to affect this as well if an employee agrees to the labor laws in another state.

  16. I drive a bus from 620am to 620pm. 2 hour lunch 4 days a week. I am forced to work overtime and at times over 12 hour days plus 2 hour lunch. When i go over 12 hours the company refuses to pay double time. They do pay overtime rate.

  17. Hello my name is Josh and I need some clarification. My employer make me, yes the way I just said it MAKES me works up to 14 hours a day. The company pays me after 8 hours overtime but the ore I read and research the more I feel I suppose to get paid 8 hours of regular time, 4 hours of overtime and 2 hours of double time correct…? Thank you for your time and any advice..

    1. Hi Josh. What are the hours you work? Could it be you’re working into the next workday?

  18. I am a care provider in a household for an older gentleman who has developmental disabilities. I work m-f 6 hours a day (4pm-10pm) then I work weekends from Saturday 9am all the way til Sunday at 9pm straight (36 hours for the weekend). Would I be qualified for double pay or anything else? I’m thinking I am. I live and work in California.

  19. I work from 1 pm till 11 pm .. then one day I’m asked to come at 7 pm till 7 am .. how should it be counted .. is the normal day counted as 8+2 and the time after 11 pm is overtime??

    1. It depends on your company’s workday schedule. Probably the normal workday ends at midnight. So the 7-7 shift would be technically two shifts with regard to overtime. 7-11:59pm and 12am-7am.

  20. Here’s my situation. I get paid weekly. I worked 44hrs one week. 8hrs each day Mon thru Wed 14hrs Thurs and 6hrs Fri. Do I get 2hrs time and a half, and 2hrs double time? Thank you.

  21. my workweek starts on Sunday I will be working Sun-Sat 8 hours Sun and 10 hrs Mon -Sat and Im being told that Saturday will be Double time so im confused on if it will only be the hours worked after 8 hours for the 7th day or will My 10 hour shift be double time?

  22. I work at a restaurant that’s only open for lunch on weekends.

    Let’s say I work Mon-Fri 2:30p-11p with a half hour off for a lunch break.

    9 work hrs/day * 5 Days = 45hrs

    And then I am asked to come in on Saturday and work a double shift of 13 hours 10a-11p with two half hour breaks for 12 work hours total.

    If I’m already being compensated at time and a half at the start of the saturday shift, my question is, after the 8th hour on Saturday, do I get double time? Or, am I time and a half for the all 12 hours worked that shift?

  23. Hi I work Monday thru Friday 10 hrs shift and 8 hrs Saturday and Sunday that’s 66 hrs in total do I have double time I live in California I’m confused

  24. Our company’s paid work week used to start on sunday 6pm -6am… At the beginning of the year they posted that A shift was now starting monday nights 6pm -6am. Its been a hassle pinpointing our 7th day when we work straight through because we are still on the sunday from 6 to 6 pay schedule they are saying that A shifts 7th day is rolling over to next weeks pay.. Is this right or would the company have to adjust the paid work week for a-shift.. I ask this because if the company is allowed to do this then they can continue to work us 12 days straight all the time and we wont see any double time cause our 7th day for that week is rolling over…? Thank u for your time..

    1. Hi Michael,

      It is fine for a company to adjust the workweek start dates and times on occasion when they determine a change in schedule is necessary, but this is not something that would be done on a regular basis in order to benefit from an employee’s lack of overtime. I am not sure that is what you described.

      1. If i get a holiday off say on a Friday and get paid holiday pay… Can I still get double time if I still work the weekend?

        1. Paid time off for holidays and holiday pay are given to employees based a decision made by the boss. They are not required by any law. In other words, it’s up to your boss how you’re paid for working on holidays. If they choose to pay double time, then you’re in luck. If they only pay regular for holiday work, then you will only get regular pay.

  25. I have a 10 hour work schedule 4 days a week. So Should I get paid for 8 hrs reg and 2 hrs OT?

  26. We get paid over time on the 6 consecutive day. And double time on the 7th consecutive day. Payroll starts on a Monday and it ends on a Sunday. My question is. Our company wants to change and start to work on Sundays now instead of Monday start time. I want to know if I work sunday-friday on that Friday could I get over time? Working 8 hours per day. Since its a 6 day consecutive. Or since payroll ends on a Sunday would I get left out and payed regular that friday?

    1. If work schedule is Sunday thru Friday then you should complete your 40 hrs on Thursday so then the 8 hours you work on Friday is over time hrs.

  27. If the work week is mon-friday and you work 49 hours in a work week then you work 8 hrs on a sat then how is this calculated for ot1 and ot2 my understanding is
    after the 48th hr it’s ot2 so Saturday is time 1/2 then right? you would get 40 hrs regular 8hrs ot1 and 1 hr ot2 then 8hrs time 1/2 for the Saturday.

    This is a union contract agreement for our bargaining unit the language states you have to work 48 hrs in the work week to go into ot2 so sat is already time 1/2 if you work over 8hrs on the Saturday it would be ot2. helppppppppp

  28. 2 hours travel time and 8 hours regular work day. Is the 2 hours of travel overtime?

  29. If i work on the seventh day of a work week and my pay rate is 19.50 nd i work 12 hours that day
    Would i get double time for my over time 19.50×2
    Or my regular pay rate 13×2

  30. If I work a 14 hour day and my employer take 2 hours of that off and adds it to the next day making one day 12 hours and the next day 10 hours to avoid paying me double time is that illegal?

    1. The start of your work day is really dependent on your employer. The Department of Labor requires that a workweek is 7 days long, but only your employer knows when your specific workweek begins. Let me give you an example of a split shift (this may be the reason why your hours were split into 2 days): Let’s say that your work week starts on Monday at 12:00am and your workweek ends Sunday at 11:59pm. To take it further, let’s say that you work a shift Sunday night and you end up working until Monday morning. Even though you worked one shift, your hours would be split in 2 days because anything worked after 11:59pm on Monday counts as a new workweek. This may be the case with your hours. If it’s not the case, your employer certainly should not be adjusting your hours to get out of the double time requirement.

  31. Hello.. I reside in California and so does my employer. Wondering how the 6th and 7th day time and a half/ double time works. For example. My work week stars on Sunday. So if I work 12 hours a day everyday from Sunday till Saturday. On the 6th day, when does time/half end and double time start? Then on the 7th day, when does time/half end and double time start?

  32. Not taking to account varying company policies, just based on the law… If I worked 7 days straight, the entire shift on my 7th day would be time and half, correct?

    But if on my 7th day I went over 40 hours for the week would the 2.5 hours past 40 for the week be double pay or just time an a half? The shift itself was only 7 hours long.

    1. Hi Amber, I want to start by saying that the FLSA has no requirement for double time pay. This is a matter of agreement between an employer and employee, or sometimes the state’s law. California, for instance, does have double time pay laws. That being said, I unfortunately cannot properly answer your question without knowing your state or company policies in regards to double time pay.

  33. Hi i have a quick question my workweek starts Sunday @1159 and ends sat 1159pm. If clocked in sunday 1145pm and clocked out at 830am monday then came back monday to work at 330pm to 12am would i be entitled to double time ?

    1. Hi there, your workweek has to be exactly 7 days, which means that your workweek cannot start on Sunday at 11:59pm and end on Saturday at 11:59pm. A workweek is 168 hours in total, but you only have 6 days included in your workweek (144 hours). You’re missing an entire day, which means that your workweek is not correct and you may want to look at your work policy or speak with your supervisor to clarify your when your workweek starts and ends. For example, if I started my workweek on Monday at 12:00am, my workweek would end Sunday at 11:59pm. So, for your question, let’s assume that your workweek starts Sunday at 11:59pm and ends Sunday at 11:58pm, but we’ll use your same question: “If clocked in Sunday 11:45pm and clocked out at 8:30am Monday then came back Monday to work at 3:30pm to 12:00am would i be entitled to double time ?” Since your workweek starts at 11:59pm, the 15 minutes before you clocked in count towards the prior week. Anything from 11:59 and forward counts as a new week; so your shift from 11:59pm-8:30am will be paid at your normal rate. Depending on your state overtime policy, anything after your original 8-hour shift may counts towards overtime and even double time. Double time and overtime is entirely dependent on your state laws.

      1. O im sorry i meant my workweek starts @12am Sunday and ends at 1159pm Saturday im.in California and my boss keeps telling me im not entitled to OT or DT because she says her company doesnt pay dt but i just clocked in 1157pm Sunday to clockout monday at 1045am and came back monday. 330pm to 12am
        She stated her workday resets at 12am so wouldnt that be double time for me she says no im not entitled to it.

  34. I worked Monday through Sunday last week and this week I worked Monday through Saturday. I get paid every 2 weeks. Would I get paid double time for that Sunday I worked it was a full 8 hr shift.

    1. Earning double time is entirely dependent on when your workweek and workday starts. I would suggest speaking with your manager or HR department to figure out when your workdays and workweek starts so you can calculate your double time properly. Without any knowledge of your policy, you can’t figure this out. In order to get double time, you must exceed 8 hours of work on your 7th consecutive work day. Double time counts in this example: Your workweek starts on Monday at 12:00am and ends on Sunday at 11:59pm and your workweek starts at 12:00am every day. Any hours you worked after your 8 hour shift until 11:59pm would be considered double time because your entire full shift was on Sunday. Example 2: In another scenario, let’s say that your 24-hour workday starts at 2:00 pm every day and ends at 1:59pm the next day. If you ended up working that Sunday and worked past 2:00pm, any hours past 2:00pm would count towards your next shift because your new work day starts at 2:00pm.

  35. Is it illegal to work 24 hours straight but only be paid for 13 of those hours in the state of New York?

    1. Under FLSA law, you have to get compensated for every hour that you work, and you must obtain overtime and double time appropriately. If your employer has not done so, I suggest filing a wage and hour claim with the Department of Labor, or I suggest finding a legal representative to speak with.

  36. I work 16 hours the first day of the work week, 5.5 hours for the next 5 days then 16 hours on the 7th day. What time is regular, OT and double time?

    1. That depends on your state’s overtime regulations. In California, for example, employees get “One and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of eight hours up to and including 12 hours in any workday, and for the first eight hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek; and Double the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours in any workday and for all hours worked in excess of eight on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek.”. First, you’ll want to check to see what your state’s overtime policies are. Once you know that, then you can calculate your hours.

  37. My regular schedule I worked mon- fri 10 hr days …. they had a project they wanted done but didn’t want to have any down time so Saturday worked from 6am -10 pm then came back on Sunday to finish the job from 6 am to 6pm …. when does my double time kick in on Saturday and Sunday?

    1. That would depend on what day your workweek starts and ends. A workweek is 168 hours, which is 7 days– not 5 days. That being said, if your workweek starts on Monday and ends on Sunday, you would get double time on Saturday and Sunday because you worked over 12 hours on Saturday and earned double time on Sunday because it was your 7th consecutive work day. To break down your hours for the week: Monday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Tuesday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Wednesday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Thursday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Friday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Saturday, 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 4 hours at 1.5x pay, and 4 hours at 2.0x pay; and Sunday: 8 hours at 1.0x pay and 4 hours of 2.0x pay. However, if your workweek starts on Sunday and ends on Saturday, you would earn: Monday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Tuesday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Wednesday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Thursday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Friday: 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 2 hours at 1.5x pay; Saturday, 8 hours at 1.0X pay and 4 hours at 1.5x pay, and 4 hours at 2.0x pay; and Sunday would start a new week: 8 hours at 1.0x pay and 2 hours of 1.5x pay.

  38. How are two shifts calculated? For example if I work 5 am to 11 am go home an return to work 6 pm to 12 pm will I get overtime? Or just get paid altogether straight time?
    What are the California laws on swing shifts?

    1. Your shifts are calculated based on your employer’s policy. In order to calculate your double time, you would have to know when the start and end of your work week is. It sounds like you’ll most likely get straight time. It sounds like you might work a split shift, which means that your employer must give you an additional hour of pay. I would recommend that you read this article to learn more about that: https://legalbeagle.com/8614306-california-graveyard-shift-pay-laws.html. Additionally, since you’re working an “evening shift” (a shift of four or more hours of which call between 6pm and midnight), you may qualify for differential pay. You can learn more about differential pay here: https://www.calhr.ca.gov/state-hr-professionals/Pages/pay-differentials.aspx. Employers are not required by law to give differential pay, but they can pay more as an incentive to work late shifts.

  39. My regular work schedule as a service technician
    Is Monday-Friday 6:00am-2:30
    I do get paid holidays off but am on call 24-7
    I got called to work at 12:30am-7:30am on memorial day
    My check reflected 8 hrs of regular time and 8 hrs of holiday time
    I usually get overtime for any hours outside my normal work hours
    What should I Have been paid for on memorial day

    1. Hi Tim, I don’t know what state you reside in and I don’t know your company’s holiday pay policy, so I cannot confidently answer this question. I suggest that you check what your state’s OT policy is and check with your HR representative at your company to review the holiday pay process.

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