What should I discuss with my employees who are becoming eligible for overtime?

Managers and supervisors may need to set new expectations and change department schedules and/or behaviors to manage hours worked within budgets. It is important to clearly communicate any new department standards or business processes to newly non-exempt employees. These communications should include:

  • Guidelines for using mobile devices outside of regular work hours to respond to calls or emails (See FAQ below: Does time spent answering emails or using a mobile phone for work outside of regular hours count towards overtime for non-exempt employees?)
  • Expectation to seek approval for overtime (See FAQ below: Does an employee need to be paid for overtime if I did not approve it?)
  • Adjustments to work schedules when work must occur outside of normal business hours (See FAQ below: The employees in my unit are used to having flexibility in their work hours. Can this continue if some or all of them become non-exempt?)

Communicating a clearly defined overtime approval process to your non-exempt employees can assist you in managing both time and budget resources. However, while non-exempt employees should seek pre-approval before working overtime, it is important to remember that all overtime must be paid, whether pre-approved or not.

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