Under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act, overtime generally must be paid at time and a half after 40 hours in a workweek.
The rule means one and one-half times an employee’s regular rate of pay. For example, a worker earning $20 per hour would generally receive $30 per overtime hour. The Fair Labor Standards Act, enacted in 1938, established federal standards for minimum wage, overtime, and child labor.
The 40-hour threshold applies to the workweek, not necessarily to each day. Federal law does not generally require extra pay merely because someone works more than eight hours in one day. Some states and employment contracts impose additional rules, and certain employees are exempt from federal overtime protections.
“Time and a half” is also different from double time. The federal standard is 1.5 times the regular rate, although employers or state laws may provide more generous compensation.