N
The Global Insight

How do employers pay overtime?

Author

Robert Miller

Updated on March 23, 2026

Yes, California law requires that employers pay overtime, whether authorized or not, at the rate of one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of eight up to and including 12 hours in any workday, and for the first eight hours of work on the seventh consecutive day of work …

Do companies pay overtime?

Under California overtime law, employers are required to pay non-exempt employees overtime for work over the maximum number of hours per day or per week.

Can a company force employees overtime?

The answer is yes, an employer can force employees to work mandatory overtime. Employers can also terminate an employee for refusal to work the mandated overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is responsible for establishing the 40-hour work week for employees.

What type of employees are entitled to overtime pay?

California overtime laws require non-exempt employees to earn one-and-a-half times their regular rate of pay when they work: more than 8 hours in a workday, more than 40 hours in a workweek, or. 6 consecutive days in a workweek.

Is it illegal for companies to not pay overtime?

It is illegal to not pay overtime to hourly, or non-exempt, employees if they work more than 40 hours in a workweek. These employees are legally owed 1.5x their regular rate of pay for any overtime hours worked, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

How much does an employer have to pay for overtime?

Learn the rules here. Federal and state laws require most employers to pay overtime. The overtime premium is 50% of the employee’s usual hourly wage. This means an employee who works overtime must be paid “time and a half”—the employee’s usual hourly wage plus the 50% overtime premium—for every overtime hour worked.

Do you have to work for the same company for overtime?

Employees should also know that it is not just work for the exact same company that counts. If two or more companies are both controlling the worker (i.e. they are “joint employers”) the hours worked for all joint employers during the workweek must be counted for overtime purposes.

Can a non exempt employee get overtime pay?

No. The Fair Labor Standards Act defines rules for who is and is not entitled to overtime pay. Overtime pay is the amount an employer pays an employee for hours worked over 40 hours in a given week. The main rule is that non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay.

Can a company refuse to pay you for overtime?

Your employer cannot require you to work more than 40 hours in a week, and then refuse to pay you time and a half for any time you worked over 40 hours (assuming you’re nonexempt). They have every right to set a schedule that sees you working over 40 hours, but only so long as they properly pay you for the overtime hours you work.