Key takeaways
- Overtime is usually paid at 1.5 times your regular hourly wage
- Ontario: after 44 hours a week. Quebec: after 40 hours a week. Nova Scotia: after 48 hours a week
- BC: after 8 hours a day or 40 a week, and double time after 12 hours in a day
- Alberta: after 8 hours a day or 44 a week, whichever gives more overtime
- Manitoba, Saskatchewan and federal jobs: after 8 hours a day or 40 a week
When does overtime start in each province?
| Jurisdiction | Daily limit | Weekly limit | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ontario | None | 44 hours | 1.5× |
| British Columbia | 8 hours (2× after 12) | 40 hours | 1.5× (2× after 12 h in a day) |
| Alberta | 8 hours | 44 hours | 1.5×, daily or weekly total, whichever is greater |
| Quebec | None | 40 hours | 1.5× |
| Manitoba | 8 hours | 40 hours | 1.5× |
| Saskatchewan | 8 hours (10 on a modified schedule) | 40 hours | 1.5× |
| Nova Scotia | None | 48 hours | 1.5× |
| Federal jobs | 8 hours | 40 hours | 1.5× |
These are the general rules. Many jobs have their own rules, for example managers and supervisors, some professionals, farm workers, truck drivers, construction, and oil and gas. Nova Scotia, for example, pays managers overtime at 1.5 times the minimum wage, not their own wage.
How the calculator counts overtime
- For provinces with a daily limit, it first counts hours over 8 in each day as overtime. In BC, hours over 12 in a day are paid at double time.
- It then adds up the hours that were not already daily overtime. Any of those hours over the weekly limit are weekly overtime. This way, no hour is counted twice.
- In Alberta, it works out daily overtime and weekly overtime separately and uses the larger number, as Alberta’s “8/44 rule” says.
- Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia only have a weekly limit.
The table under your result shows how the same week would be paid in the other provinces.
Worked example
You earn $25 an hour and work 10, 10, 8, 8, 8 and 4 hours (48 hours) in one week.
- BC: 4 hours of daily overtime (2 on Monday, 2 on Tuesday). The remaining 44 straight-time hours are 4 over the weekly limit of 40. Total: 8 overtime hours. Pay: 40 × $25 + 8 × $37.50 = $1,300.
- Ontario: no daily limit. 48 − 44 = 4 overtime hours. Pay: 44 × $25 + 4 × $37.50 = $1,250.
- Alberta: daily overtime is 4 hours and weekly overtime is 48 − 44 = 4 hours. The greater is 4 hours. Pay: $1,250.
- Quebec: 48 − 40 = 8 overtime hours. Pay: $1,300.
Banked time and averaging agreements
Instead of overtime pay, some employers offer time off. Rules differ:
- Ontario: you and your employer can agree in writing to take 1.5 hours of paid time off for each overtime hour. You can also agree to average your hours over 2 to 4 weeks, so overtime starts only when the average is over 44 hours a week.
- Alberta: a written agreement can let you bank 1 hour off for each overtime hour.
- Federal jobs: you can ask for 1.5 hours off for each overtime hour.
An averaging agreement or overtime bank must follow your province’s rules. If you never signed one, the normal limits apply.
If you are not paid overtime
Keep your own record of hours: dates, start and end times. Talk to your employer first. If that does not work, you can file a complaint with your province’s employment standards office. It is free, and you do not need a lawyer. Your employer cannot punish you for asking about your rights.
Overtime pay is taxed like regular pay. See what you keep with the net pay calculator, and check the minimum wage in your province.