Overtime calculator
What your overtime hours come to at time and a half, double time or whatever your contract actually says. Shows the average rate across all your hours.
There is no legal overtime rate in the UK
This surprises people, so it is worth saying plainly: no law entitles you to time and a half. None sets double time on a Sunday either. Your contract sets the rate, and an employer can lawfully pay a flat hourly rate for extra hours, or nothing extra at all for salaried staff.
Time and a half is a widespread convention, not a right. That is why the rate above is something you choose rather than something the tool assumes: only your contract knows.
The minimum wage is the one real floor
The National Minimum Wage is the thing an employer cannot get around, and it applies to your average across the pay period rather than hour by hour.
Where unpaid overtime becomes unlawful. On £13 an hour for 37.5 hours, you earn £487.50. Work 10 unpaid hours on top and you have done 47.5 hours for the same money, which averages £10.26 an hour. If that drops below the minimum wage for your age, your employer is breaking the law, whatever the contract says about "reasonable additional hours".
Put your basic hours in above and the calculator shows the average, which is the figure to check against the minimum wage.
Salaried staff and "reasonable additional hours"
Plenty of salaried contracts say you may need to work reasonable additional hours with no extra pay, and that clause is generally lawful. The minimum wage still applies underneath it, so the average test above is what protects you.
Some employers give time off in lieu instead of paying, which is fine where the contract provides for it. TOIL is usually hour for hour, so an hour of overtime buys an hour off rather than an hour and a half.
The 48-hour week
The Working Time Regulations cap the average working week at 48 hours, averaged over 17 weeks. You can opt out of it in writing, and many contracts ask you to. The opt-out has to be voluntary and you can withdraw it, normally with seven days' notice.
The 48-hour limit is about hours worked, not pay. Being under it does not mean overtime has to be paid at a premium, and being over it does not earn you more money.
Common questions
How do I calculate overtime pay?
Multiply your normal hourly rate by the overtime multiplier, then by the hours. £15 an hour at time and a half is £22.50, so 8 hours of overtime is £180. Put your figures in above.
What is time and a half?
Your normal rate multiplied by 1.5. On £15 an hour that is £22.50. It is a common convention rather than a legal requirement, so check your contract for the rate that actually applies to you.
Is my employer legally required to pay overtime?
No. There is no statutory overtime rate in the UK. Your contract sets it, and paying a flat rate for extra hours, or nothing extra for salaried staff, can be lawful. The only floor is that your average pay across the period must not fall below the National Minimum Wage.
Can my employer make me work unpaid overtime?
Often yes, if your contract provides for reasonable additional hours. But your total pay divided by your total hours must still meet the National Minimum Wage for your age. Unpaid hours that drag that average below it are unlawful.
Do I have to pay more tax on overtime?
No, overtime is taxed exactly like the rest of your pay. It can push part of your income into a higher band, which makes the deduction on that month look heavier, but there is no separate overtime tax.
What is TOIL?
Time off in lieu: paid time off instead of overtime pay, where your contract allows it. It is normally hour for hour, so an hour of overtime buys an hour off rather than an hour and a half.
Can I be made to work more than 48 hours a week?
Only if you opt out of the Working Time Regulations in writing. The limit is an average of 48 hours over 17 weeks rather than a hard weekly cap. The opt-out must be voluntary, and you can withdraw it with notice.