Write the daily and weekly overtime hour counts from the state page on the hourly offer before you send it.
Key takeaways
- Write the state page hour counts on the offer before you send it.
- Record a daily count only when that page states one.
- Write California's 8-hour, 12-hour, and seventh-day lines.
- Write only the weekly count on the Washington, Minnesota, or Oregon page.
Pay the overtime the state page describes once the hour count on that page is passed
When you draft an hourly offer, the state page’s hour count acts as the trigger for the pay multiple described on that page. For California, the general overtime provisions state that a nonexempt employee shall not be employed more than eight hours in any workday or more than 40 hours in any workweek unless they receive one and one-half times their regular rate of pay for all hours worked over those limits ( California Department of Industrial Relations). This rule specifically covers nonexempt employees 18 years of age or older, and minor employees 16 or 17 years of age who are not required by law to attend school and are not otherwise prohibited by law from engaging in the subject work ( California Department of Industrial Relations).
Write the daily and weekly hour counts from the state page for the place the person will work on your offer sheet. This simple step ensures you are tracking the correct thresholds for the specific location.
California's daily and weekly hour counts
The California Department of Industrial Relations outlines specific thresholds that trigger overtime pay. For daily work, the page states that an employee receives one and one-half times their regular rate for all hours worked in excess of eight hours up to and including 12 hours in any workday California Department of Industrial Relations. If the employee works beyond 12 hours in a single workday, the pay rate changes. The page specifies that the employer must double the employee's regular rate of pay for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours in any workday California Department of Industrial Relations.
Weekly work follows a different structure. The first eight hours worked on the seventh consecutive day of work in a workweek are paid at one and one-half times the regular rate California Department of Industrial Relations. Any hours worked in excess of eight on that seventh consecutive day are paid at double the regular rate California Department of Industrial Relations.
When calculating the regular rate of pay, the page notes that the hours used in the computation may not exceed the legal maximum regular hours. In most cases, this limit is 8 hours in a workday and 40 hours in a workweek California Department of Industrial Relations. This baseline ensures that the overtime multiples apply correctly to the standard work period.
For a hiring manager, these counts create distinct pay tiers. The first tier is the standard regular rate for the first eight hours of a workday. The second tier activates at hour nine, requiring time-and-a-half pay. The third tier activates at hour thirteen, requiring double time. On the seventh consecutive workday, the first eight hours require time-and-a-half, and hours beyond eight require double time.
You should record these specific numbers in your offer documentation. Write down the 8-hour daily cap and the 40-hour weekly cap. Note the 12-hour daily threshold for double time. Note the 8-hour threshold on the seventh consecutive day for double time. These figures define when the pay rate increases. Do not assume these rules apply to other states. Each state page provides its own specific counts and multiples.
Pair those notes with a hiring decision debrief worksheet.
Illustrative example with a regular rate of 8
Suppose the regular rate is 8 for the daily tiers above. Hours past 8 up to and including 12 use one and one-half times 8, which is 12. Hours past 12 use double 8, which is 16. These figures are practice only, not a state page wage.
Weekly hour counts in Washington, Minnesota, and Oregon
When preparing an hourly offer for a role based in Washington, the state’s overtime threshold is weekly. According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, most employees who work more than 40 hours in a 7-day workweek must be paid overtime. The page specifies that overtime pay must be at least 1.5 times the employee’s regular hourly rate. It is important to note that Washington law does not require overtime for hours worked over 8 hours in a day, with the exception of certain public works projects. The same source notes that employers can define a workweek as any 7 consecutive days beginning on the same day and time every week, which gives you flexibility in how you structure payroll periods.
In Minnesota, the rules differ significantly between state and federal standards. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry explains that the federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires some employers to pay overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. However, the state’s own law sets a higher threshold. The Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay overtime for all hours worked over 48 in a workweek, unless the employee is exempt under Minnesota Statutes 177.23, subdivision 7. For the hours that do trigger overtime under state law, the pay must be at least 1.5 times the employee's regular rate of pay. If you are hiring in Minnesota, you must determine whether the federal 40-hour rule or the state 48-hour rule applies to your specific business classification, as the state page outlines both.
According to the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, most employers must pay overtime at the rate of 1.5 times the worker’s regular pay rate for all hours worked over 40 in the workweek. The page provides a concrete example of how this multiple works: if a worker makes $18.00 per hour, their overtime rate is $27.00 per hour. This example illustrates the calculation but does not represent a minimum wage or a required offer rate. When writing the offer letter for an Oregon-based position, ensure your timekeeping system is set to flag hours once the 40-hour weekly mark is passed, as this is the trigger for the 1.5x pay rate described on the state page.
Also read salary history questions: 3 state rules to check.
Filled reference table of each publisher's overtime rule
The table below summarizes the specific hour counts and pay multiples stated by each state agency.
| Publisher | Daily Hour Count | Weekly Hour Count | Pay Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries | Not stated | 40 hours | 1.5 times regular pay rate |
Multiply monthly salary by 12 for the annual salary, then divide by 52 for the weekly salary
When an offer includes a monthly salary rather than an hourly wage, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries page provides a specific sequence for converting that figure into a rate suitable for overtime calculations. The first step in this conversion is to establish the annual total. According to Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, you multiply your monthly salary by 12 to get the annual salary. This creates a baseline annual figure from the monthly amount provided in the offer.
Once the annual salary is determined, the next step is to break it down into a weekly amount. The same source states that you divide your annual salary by 52 to get the weekly salary. The page specifies that payroll records must reflect overtime pay of 1.5 times that rate for hours over 40 in a workweek.
A blank worksheet for the next hourly offer
Use this blank form to record the specific hour counts and pay multiples from the state page for the location where the new hire will work. Fill in the daily and weekly thresholds only if the state page states them. The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries describes a method for converting salary figures, noting to "Multiply your monthly salary by 12 to get the annual salary;" Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. This conversion step helps determine the regular rate needed for overtime calculations. Write the exact numbers from the relevant state page into the table below before sending the offer. Do not assume the counts are the same across different states.
| State | Daily Hour Count | Weekly Hour Count | Pay Multiple |
|---|---|---|---|
| Example | daily count from that page | weekly count from that page | pay multiple from that page |
| __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ |
| __ | __ | __ | __ |
| _ _ | __ | __ | __ |
Today, copy that page's daily count, weekly count, and pay multiple into the worksheet above.
Hourly overtime FAQ
After how many hours in a day does the California page describe double time?
The California Department of Industrial Relations page states that double the employee's regular rate of pay applies for all hours worked in excess of 12 hours in any workday. This specific daily threshold is part of the overtime rules described on that page. You should note this 12-hour mark when calculating potential daily overtime for employees in that state.
Does Washington require daily overtime on the quoted page?
No, the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries page states that Washington law does not require overtime for hours worked over 8 hours in a day. The page notes an exception for certain public works projects, but the general rule cited does not include a daily overtime requirement. Your offer for a standard hourly position in Washington would not trigger daily overtime based on this quoted rule.
What weekly count does Minnesota state for its own law, and what weekly count does it state for the federal law?
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry page states that the Minnesota Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay overtime for all hours worked over 48 in a workweek. The same page states that the federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires some employers to pay overtime for all hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. You must check which count applies to your specific employees and employer status before finalizing the offer.
What multiple does Oregon state?
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries page states that most employers must pay overtime at the rate of 1.5 times the worker’s regular pay rate. This multiple applies to all hours worked over 40 in the workweek according to that page. Use this 1.5 rate when calculating the total compensation for an Oregon-based hourly employee who exceeds the weekly threshold.
How does Oregon say to turn a monthly salary into a weekly salary?
The Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries page instructs you to multiply your monthly salary by 12 to get the annual salary. It then instructs you to divide your annual salary by 52 to get the weekly salary. Follow these two steps if you need to convert a monthly figure to determine the weekly rate for overtime calculations in Oregon.