Payroll Dates
Overtime for Employees
Non-exempt employees are not authorized to work beyond their standard work schedule without the approval of their supervisors. Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), overtime is not defined by whether an employee felt they needed to work. It is defined by whether the work was authorized or permitted by the employer.
Overtime is:
- Time worked beyond 40 hours
- Authorized or directed by a supervisor
- Recorded and compensated
Overtime is NOT:
- Time an employee chooses to work without approval
- Staying late to “catch up”
- Working through lunch or before/after hours without supervisor direction
If overtime has not been approved by your supervisor in advance, you are not authorized to work beyond your scheduled hours.
Employees work their scheduled hours. When the work cannot be completed within those hours, the employee should alert their supervisor. The supervisor then decides:
- what gets prioritized
- what gets delayed
- whether overtime is authorized
- whether support is needed
It is not the employee’s responsibility to solve workload by working extra hours. It is the supervisor’s responsibility to prioritize the work.
Many employees feel responsible for making everything happen. That commitment is admirable, but it can create unsanctioned overtime. When that occurs, an employee must let the supervisor know that the work exceeds the available time
Working beyond your scheduled hours without prior approval is not permitted. If work cannot be completed during scheduled hours, it must be discussed with your supervisor so priorities can be set.
For additional information, please review these resources below.