Is overtime pay mandatory?

[lowlight22]

Must an employers always pay overtime pay, or only if it stipulates it in the contract?

Is it a legal obligation to pay overtime?

[Tsveta]

Well they must, but they don't. If you work on a contact they pay you by the hour (there is no overtime). If you are a permanent employee most of the time you don't get paid for staying late. It is considered that you are loyal to the company and you work for it's own good, and yours.... Maybe you'll get a Christmas bonus or will get promoted some day.

[Toni]

I have friends, accountants, who during the busy season work for 40 days with no break, Saturday and Sunday too, and get only a bonus.

[trappercase]

Accountants are usually salaried employees that need to get a certain amount of work done. They probably also book off early in the summer to go to the beach.

Hourly employees who work more than 44 hours in a week are entitled to 1.5 times minimum wage. For an example, if minimum wage is $5/hour and you currently earn $7.50/ hour, you will not receive and premium pay for overtime hours. This is legislation. Employers may have different labour practices in effect.

[Bronco]

Accountants have it great in that its so easy to work for yourself!
Once you know the tricks of the trade, you can set up your own business, rather than work set hours for an employer.

I know I would do that if I were a qualified accountant.

[katkat]

It depends on what type of work you do. Certain jobs are exempt from overtime pay and the hours you need before you get overtime varies also. You should check out the employment standards act

[katkat]

If it is an industry where they have to pay overtime(which is most industries) \, they have to pay you 150% of your regular wage, no matter how high it is.

[lookingforjob]

If it is an industry where they have to pay overtime(which is most industries) \, they have to pay you 150% of your regular wage, no matter how high it is.

Or they can choose to give you time off to compensate you for the overtime. If I was working full-time I would prefer to get a time off for the overtime hours I've worked.

[Ascended]

lots of retarded places find ways not to pay, especially if they know you are desperate for work, and so you have to contact workers unions and agencies like that to claim and it's a long process, so if it's a transient job i would just leave.

[RSTech]

A little off topic but speaking as a contractor, I outline my overtime rates in the rate sheet I give to my customer. Here are my standard terms:
Standard Time: 8am-4pm - Monday to Friday - regular rate
Overtime: Before 8am and after 4 pm - Monday to Friday - regular x 1.5
Overtime: Saturdays - regular x 1.5
Premium Time: Sundays - regular x 2
Premium Time: Holidays - regular x 2.5
Minimum 4 hours for unscheduled work (service calls)

I am lenient on some of these with my regular customers. For example if I work 7am-3pm on a week day I don't charge overtime for the first 1 hour or if I work until 5pm I usually don't charge overtime. As a contractor as long as you get all of this outlined prior to performing the work you should be all set. No surprises; everyone knows what to expect.

[lookingforjob]

I charge my regular rate for any overtime hours during the week days, but I charge X 1.5 during the weekend. I prefer not to work overtime anyway. I'm paid well enough and I highly value my free time :)

[almo81]

Generally speaking, Large employers will prefer to pay overtime, since it reduces its overall labor costs (when there's less work to be done, labor costs drop).

Smaller employers Generally prefer to pay a flat sum - their costs are more predictable that way, and they don't have to do the added work of calculating each employees exact income, maintain a clock, etc. Its not really less money, since a certain amount of overtime is assumed and essentially paid in advance.

Not having overtime is not necessarily a bad thing for employees - they don't get paid less during holiday periods (when there's less work days for overtime) and other low work load periods. Also they can "downshift" for certain periods without suffering loss of income.

The example of accountants (Thanks, Toni, for pointing this out to us) is a classic example of a seasonal industry - with predictable high and low periods: Having a flat paycheck in such an industry may seem like a good idea here (long paid vacations etc.).

Almo

[Paul]

You will get long paid vacations only in Europe. ;)

[RSTech]

You will get long paid vacations only in Europe. ;)

I've got cousins in England that are only 22 years old (been at their job less than 5 years) and they have 6 weeks paid vacation! It takes 20+ years of working to get that kind of vacation at the places I've worked in Canada.

[Ascended]

it should be, I believe that if you work over 44 hrs a week, you should start getting paid 1.5 at least