We pay employees time and a half for hours worked on a holiday. We are in MA. Are we required to pay additional overtime if the combined regular and ot hours are greater than 40 for the week?

For example, if someone worked 35 hours Tues-Fri and Monday was a holiday and we paid 8 hours at time and a half, do we have to take the total hours for the week (35+8=43), subtract the 3 hours over 40 from regular and add to overtime giving a total of 32 reg and 11 overtime???

Thanks in advance,
SAB

Overtime is paid on the hours worked, rather than the hours paid. In your example, the person will earn 3 hours of overtime. Be sure to calculate the increased hourly rate in your calculation of the overtime rate.

So, even though we are not legally required to pay the time and a half for hours worked on the holiday but DO pay the time and a half, we are legally required to pay them time and a half (again?) for the hours over 40? In this example, 35 hours reg and 8 @ time and a half for the holiday, you are indicating that we would have to pay 32 reg and 11 overtime? Are we not covering ourselves by already paying the time and a half for the 8 hours on the holiday?

Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I want to confirm. Thanks! :D

sab66

You do not have to pyramid overtime pay.

Figure the total hours worked for the week and how much OT pay is due. Say the employee worked 50 hours. So that's 40 hours at regular time and 10 hours at time and a-half. Then subtract the 8 hours already calculated at time and a-half (8 hours for Memorial Day), leaving two hours of overtime to be paid.

Thank you so much for the clarification! :)

sab66