What Is Time and a Half?Definition, Calculation & When You Get It

Time and a half is an overtime pay rate equal to 150 percent of your regular rate. In simpler terms, you receive your normal hourly wage plus half of that wage for each qualifying overtime hour. If you normally earn $20 per hour, half of $20 is $10, so your time and a half rate is $30 per hour. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, this rate generally applies to covered, non-exempt employees for hours worked over 40 in a fixed workweek. The phrase describes the rate paid for overtime hours, not the entire paycheck. In a 45-hour week, the first 40 hours are normally paid at the regular rate and only the additional 5 hours are paid at time and a half. State law, a union agreement, or employer policy can provide more generous rules, such as daily overtime or holiday premiums, but it cannot reduce the federal protection when that protection applies.

Multiply your regular hourly rate by 1.5. A $16 rate becomes $24, an $18.50 rate becomes $27.75, and a $25 rate becomes $37.50. Next, count the hours that qualify as overtime. Under the federal weekly rule, subtract 40 from the hours actually worked in the workweek; if the result is below zero, federal weekly overtime is zero. Multiply the qualifying overtime hours by the time and a half rate to find overtime pay. Then add regular pay for the first 40 hours. For example, at $20 per hour for 45 hours, regular pay is 40 x $20, or $800. Overtime pay is 5 x $30, or $150. Total gross weekly pay is $950. This simple formula assumes one hourly rate and no additional earnings. Nondiscretionary bonuses, shift differentials, commissions, or multiple rates can change the legal regular rate and require an adjustment. Keep your timecard and pay statement together so you can compare each input with payroll's result.

Yes, when the federal Fair Labor Standards Act or an applicable state law covers the employment and the worker is non-exempt. The FLSA generally requires at least one and one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The requirement is not optional, and an employee cannot waive it through a private agreement. However, not every person or every hour is covered. Some employees qualify for executive, administrative, professional, outside sales, computer, or other exemptions, and properly classified independent contractors are not employees under the Act. Federal law also does not require overtime merely for a long single day, a weekend, or a holiday. States can be more protective: California and Alaska, for example, have daily overtime rules for many workers. When federal and state standards both apply, the employee generally receives the benefit of the more protective rule. A contract or employer policy can also promise a higher premium than the statutory minimum.

Not automatically under federal law. The Fair Labor Standards Act does not require premium pay simply because work occurs on a federal holiday, Saturday, Sunday, or night shift. Holiday premiums are often created by an employer handbook, union agreement, employment contract, or state-specific rule. If your employer promises time and a half for a holiday, check which hours qualify and whether the premium replaces or stacks with any overtime premium. Hours actually worked on a holiday count toward total hours in the federal workweek. If those hours push a covered, non-exempt employee beyond 40, the excess hours must receive overtime even if the employer has no special holiday policy. Paid holiday hours that were not worked usually do not count as hours worked for the federal threshold. Because payroll systems label holiday earnings differently, compare the policy, the timecard, and the pay statement instead of assuming a line called holiday pay includes every overtime amount owed.

Time and a half is 1.5 times the regular rate, while double time is 2 times the regular rate. At a $20 regular rate, time and a half is $30 per hour and double time is $40 per hour. The federal FLSA generally requires time and a half, not double time, after 40 hours in a workweek for covered, non-exempt employees. Double time usually comes from state law, a collective bargaining agreement, or an employer policy. California is the best-known example: many non-exempt employees receive double time after 12 hours in a workday and for hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day worked in a workweek. The rules can include industry exceptions and approved alternative workweek schedules. A holiday does not automatically trigger either multiplier under federal law. When several premiums appear to apply to the same hour, payroll rules determine whether they overlap or whether the higher rate satisfies the obligation without stacking both.

It can. Being paid a salary does not by itself make an employee exempt from overtime. A salaried employee who is non-exempt must generally receive overtime for qualifying hours, and the employer must convert the salary and other includable compensation into a regular rate for the workweek. Many common white-collar exemptions require three things: payment on a salary basis, a salary at or above the applicable threshold, and actual executive, administrative, or professional duties defined by regulation. Missing any required element can leave the employee non-exempt. Under the federal rules currently enforced, the standard salary level for most of those exemptions is $684 per week, but states may require a higher amount or use stricter duties tests. Some salaried arrangements also cover a fixed number of hours, which affects the regular-rate calculation. Workers should look at duties, pay terms, and state law rather than relying on a title such as manager or analyst.

Time and a half for $15 per hour is $22.50 per overtime hour. Multiply $15 by 1.5, or add half of $15 ($7.50) to the original $15 rate. If a covered, non-exempt employee works 45 hours in one federal workweek, the first 40 hours produce $600 in regular pay and the remaining 5 hours produce $112.50 in overtime pay. Gross weekly pay is therefore $712.50 before taxes and deductions. If the same employee works 50 hours, the 10 overtime hours produce $225, for a $825 weekly total. These examples assume the legal regular rate is exactly $15 and no bonus, shift differential, commission, or second hourly rate must be included. State daily overtime can also produce a different result. The pay-table column called extra premium shows only the additional 0.5 portion above straight-time pay, while the full overtime line is paid at $22.50. Use the linked $15 guide or weekly calculator to compare another hour total.

An employer can control schedules, require advance approval for overtime, and discipline an employee who ignores a lawful scheduling policy. It generally cannot refuse to pay for overtime hours that a covered, non-exempt employee actually worked when the employer knew or had reason to know about the work. That includes work performed before clock-in, after clock-out, at home, or during an interrupted meal period if management allowed it to occur. An agreement to accept straight-time pay or to waive overtime does not override the FLSA. Start by checking the workweek dates, time records, pay statement, and written policy, then raise a specific discrepancy with payroll or human resources. Preserve your own contemporaneous records. Workers may contact the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division or a state labor agency for information. Retaliation for asserting protected wage rights is prohibited, but individual circumstances can be complex and legal advice may be appropriate.

Time and a half for $20 per hour is $30 per overtime hour. Multiply $20 by 1.5, or add half of $20 ($10) to the regular $20 rate. If you work 45 hours in a federal overtime workweek, the first 40 hours produce $800 in regular pay and the remaining 5 hours produce $150 in overtime pay. The estimated gross total is $950 before taxes and deductions. If you work 50 hours, overtime pay is 10 x $30, or $300, and total weekly pay is $1,100. These examples assume you are a covered, non-exempt employee, your regular rate is exactly $20, and the hours fall within one employer-defined workweek. A nondiscretionary bonus, shift differential, or second rate can increase the legal regular rate. A state daily overtime or double-time rule can also produce a higher total than the basic federal estimate. Use the weekly calculator above to test a different total without repeating the arithmetic by hand.

Under the federal FLSA standard, a covered, non-exempt employee begins earning time and a half after 40 hours actually worked in one fixed workweek. The 41st hour is the first federal overtime hour. The law does not require the employee to work 40 hours every week, and an employer cannot average a 50-hour week with a 30-hour week to avoid paying overtime. Paid leave or a holiday not worked usually does not count as hours worked toward the federal 40-hour threshold. Some states trigger overtime sooner. California and Alaska require daily overtime after 8 hours in many circumstances, while other state wage orders can use daily or shift-based thresholds. A union agreement or employer policy may also promise overtime after fewer hours, on certain days, or for holiday work. To identify the correct trigger, confirm the employer's fixed workweek, the state where the work occurred, your exempt or non-exempt classification, and any contractual premium rules.