Overtime pay

[Linzi84]

Is there a maximum number of hours a week you should work before receiving overtime pay? Is there a law or anything?

[CheekyChops]

Whatever hours you are contracted to work, anything over this is overtime. e.g your working hours are 35 per week and you work 39, you have done 4 hours overtime. Whether you get paid for this overtime or not is something you should take up with your employer.

[Linzi84]

Thank u. I am actually enquiring on behalf of my boyfriend. He is a landscape gardner and has never had a contract of employment. He works Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm but when he is asked to work saturday he only gets his basic pay.

[theo_wyvern]

i know its not an answer but advice anyway - always get a contract - the employer is in as much trouble as him - he could walk out with no notice etc

[Buenchico]

There is no legislation which requires a higher rate of pay for overtime. My company pays 'standard rate' for all hours worked (including bank holidays) and many other firms do the same. This is perfectly legal.

It's also worth noting that the reason that hospitals have, for many years, forced junior doctors to work for 80 (or more) hours per week is that doctors' overtime has always been paid at LESS than the normal rate of pay. (The typical rate of overtime pay for junior doctors has generally been only ONE THIRD of normal pay. It's therefore been far cheaper to employ doctors on overtime than to employ more staff). So, compared with the medical profession, getting 'normal pay' doesn't seem so bad!

Chris