is it true that if you get overtime and you were not schedule for it you boss doesn't have to pay it to you. For instance you work your schedule shift but take on someone elses hours and that puts you over 40 hours in a Monday thru Sunday work week, does your have to pay you the overtime and does she just give you straight pay since you weren't schedule the other shift. Does this make sense. I'm confused, b\c my boss says that she doesn't that she can just pay us straight pay if we weren't schedule the shift that gave us the overtime.

For nonexempt employees who are covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, that's a bunch of baloney. There is no exemption in the Act for unscheduled overtime or even unapproved overtime. File a claim with the state Dept. of Labor.

BUT stop working unauthorized/unapproved overtime; while you have to be paid for it you can be disciplined in any other form the employer chooses, including firing you for it.

I just assumed that the "taking over someone else's hours" was requested, or at least known, by the employer.