If you’ve recently moved to California, you probably knew that it was possible to earn overtime pay, but you may not be familiar with double overtime. This is a concept that is fairly exclusive to the state and is set up by state law, rather than federal law. You may never have experienced it before.
So what is double overtime, which is often also called double pay or double-time pay? And when would you qualify?
Twice your normal rate
Double overtime is not twice your overtime rate. Overtime is paid at time-and-a-half, but double overtime is paid at twice your standard rate. It doesn’t increase your overtime to three times your normal rate, but it is a significant boost from normal overtime pay. For instance, if you earned $20 an hour, you would get $30 an hour for normal overtime and $40 an hour for double pay.
The situations in which you qualify for this higher pay rate are generally fairly extreme. For instance, if you work seven days straight during the week, you may qualify for the double rate once you break the eight-hour mark on that final day. Another example is if you work more than a dozen hours in a single day. Once you get past 12 hours, any additional hours are paid at twice the normal rate.
Has your employer paid you properly?
If you think your employer has not paid you correctly, perhaps by just giving you time and a half when you really deserved double overtime, then you need to know about all the legal options you have to protect your rights.