Is this a lawyer's calculation of my claim?
No. It is an illustration for a narrow ordinary hourly scenario. An attorney must assess the actual facts and rules.
THE RESOURCEINFORMATION · RECORDS · NEXT STEPS
California Overtime Estimator: Hourly Work
Estimate ordinary single-rate California overtime from a seven-day workweek. See daily, weekly and seventh-day assumptions before using a result.
THE DIRECT ANSWER
This estimator illustrates ordinary California daily, weekly and seventh-day overtime for a nonexempt employee paid one hourly rate. It avoids counting the same hours twice. It does not decide exemption, minimum-wage compliance, damages, penalties or the value of a claim.
Voice intake is available any hour. Attorney services are quoted individually and agreed separately.
When this estimator can be used
Enter hours for the employer's defined seven-day workweek, not an arbitrary rolling week. Each entry must match a defined workday. The tool assumes one hourly rate and ordinary California overtime rules for a covered nonexempt employee.
Do not use it for salary conversion, bonuses, commissions, multiple rates, alternative workweeks, collective bargaining exceptions or industry-specific rules such as agricultural or certain healthcare arrangements. Workday boundaries and overnight shifts can change the inputs.
What is included in the illustration?
Under the ordinary rule, hours over eight through twelve in a workday are generally paid at one and one-half times the regular rate, and hours over twelve at double time. Weekly overtime and the seventh consecutive day in the same workweek require additional treatment.
For a complete seven-day workweek, the tool applies seventh-day treatment when hours were worked on every day, then applies the weekly straight-time limit without duplicating daily premium hours. It shows the hour categories and assumed gross pay so the method can be checked.
What is left out?
Break premiums, final-pay penalties, interest, reimbursements, taxes and any amount already paid are not included. A gross pay illustration is not an estimate of recovery or a statement that an employer violated the law.
Compare the inputs and method with the official guidance and bring the underlying records to an attorney. The firm quotes legal services individually; the displayed wage calculation is not a legal-service price.
Illustrate an ordinary hourly workweek
Records to prepare
- 01The employer's defined workweek and workday boundaries.
- 02Actual hours for every day and the hourly rate.
- 03Any bonus, commission, alternative schedule or exception that makes this tool unsuitable.
Questions about this topic
Can I use a calendar week automatically?
Only if it matches the employer's defined workweek. Otherwise reorganize the records before using the estimator.
Sources and further reading
Use the linked authority for its stated subject. Firm biographies and service descriptions establish what the firm publishes; they are separate from statutes, agency guidance and State Bar licensing records.
- 01Labor Commissioner: overtime rules and exceptionsPrimary source for the rules and limits discussed on this page.
- 02Labor Commissioner: overtime exemptionsPrimary source for the rules and limits discussed on this page.
- 03Labor Commissioner: filing a wage claimPrimary source for the rules and limits discussed on this page.
Related guidance and next steps
Content updated . Prepared by the Employment Labor Law editorial team using the sources above. General information, not advice about your case. An attorney-review credit is not claimed for this page.
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