OVERTIME

Hello, and welcome to MOL Radio.

This week's employment standards segment covers overtime pay.

Ontario's Employment Standards Act sets minimum employment standards for most Ontario workplaces. One of these standards is overtime pay. Most employees have the right to overtime pay.

Today, we're going to discuss general basic facts about overtime pay.

As usual, to get more detailed information about overtime pay and your other employment standards rights, we urge you to go to our website or call our Information Centre. We will give you details on how to connect with us at the end of this segment.

Now, if you work full-time, part-time, are a student … If you are an assignment employee for a temporary help agency or a casual worker.

Generally, if you have more than 44 hours in a work week … you are entitled to overtime pay. Overtime pay is 1½ times your regular rate of pay … it's known as "time and a half."

For example, if you are an employee with a regular wage of $12.00 an hour, your overtime pay would be $18.00 an hour (12 x 1.5 = 18).

Unless you have a contract of employment or a collective agreement that states otherwise, you will not earn overtime pay on a daily basis, by working more than a set number of hours a day. Overtime is payable only on a weekly basis, or over a longer period if you have an averaging agreement in place.

For more details on averaging agreements, please check our website.

If you are a manager or a supervisor, you do not qualify for overtime if the work you do is managerial or supervisory. Even if you perform other kinds of tasks that are not managerial or supervisory, you do not get overtime pay if these tasks are performed only on an irregular or exceptional basis.

If you and your employer agree in writing, you may take your overtime as paid time off work. This is commonly called "time off in lieu" or "banked time."

If you have such an agreement, you must be given 1½ hours of paid time off work for each hour of overtime worked. This time off in lieu must be taken within three months of the week in which the overtime was earned.

Again, if you agree in writing, this period can be extended to 12 months.

If your job should end before you have taken the paid time off, you must receive overtime pay. This must be paid no later than seven days after the date your employment ended or on what would have been your next pay day.

These are some of the general provisions around overtime pay.

For more detailed information on overtime pay and exemptions, please go to our website at Ontario.ca - forward slash - employment standards - that's employment standards, one word.

Once again … Ontario.ca - forward slash - employment standards - that's one word.

There, you will also find helpful examples on how to calculate your overtime pay.

Or, you may call our Information Centre at 1-800-531-5551. That's 1-800-531-5551.

Our specialists will help you understand your rights around overtime pay … and any other questions regarding your employment standards.

Thank you for listening to MOL Radio.

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