The basic rule: 44 hours, time and a half
Overtime starts after 44 hours worked in a work week. Every hour over 44 is paid at 1½ times the regular rate. A worker on $30 an hour who works 50 hours earns 44 × $30 plus 6 × $45.
Averaging over 2–4 weeks
You and an employee can agree, in writing or electronically, to average hours over two, three or four weeks. Overtime is then owed only if the average is over 44 hours a week. Useful when one week is long and the next is short.
Time off instead of overtime pay
If the employee agrees, overtime can be banked as paid time off — 1½ hours off for every overtime hour. The time off generally has to be taken within three months, or within 12 months if you both agree in writing or electronically.
Construction has special rules
The ESA treats construction employees differently on some points:
- they're exempt from the hours-of-work and rest-period limits;
- public holidays have their own rules;
- some kinds of work, like road building, have a different overtime threshold.
Use the province's special rules tool for the exact rule for your kind of work.
Subcontractors don't get overtime
Overtime is an employee right. A self-employed subcontractor bills you for the job instead. Not sure which one your worker is? Employee or subcontractor →
Seeing the hours before Friday
In CrewHub the crew clocks in on site, so the week's hours for each person are counted as you go. You set each person's pay rules — including overtime — and Payroll shows what each person is owed. The rules for your crew stay your call; the math is done for you.