Skip to content
Each Answer
Menu

What time and a half means

Time and a half is 1.5 times the regular hourly rate for the hours your rule marks as overtime.

Short answer

Time and a half means each overtime hour pays 1.5 times the regular rate. A $20 rate pays $30 for that hour, not $20 plus another $30.

One hour, one multiplier

If the regular rate is $20, half of it is $10, and time and a half is $30. Five overtime hours are $150 before you add the regular hours. Forty regular hours at $20 are $800. The week is $950.

Double time is a different multiplier: 2. A policy can use 1.5 after 40 hours and 2 on a holiday. Enter the multiplier that matches the row you are paying, and keep holiday hours in their own line if the rate changes.

Examples

  • $20 and five overtime hours

    Overtime pay is $150. It is not $20 × 5 plus $20 × 1.5 × 5.

Common mistakes

  • Adding a full hour and then adding time and a half again.

Frequently asked questions

Is every worker owed this?
No. Exemptions exist. The Department of Labor describes the federal overtime rule; your situation can differ.

Related

Sources