Am I owed overtime? Check your hours against the FLSA basics

Paste one workweek's hours and how you're paid (no SSN); get DOL Fact Sheet #23 in plain words—40-hour weeks, time-and-a-half, and what doesn't count as a waiver—plus where to ask Wage and Hour.

What it does

No bot required, and it isn't legal advice for your exact job. The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division Fact Sheet #23 explains the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) overtime basics for covered nonexempt employees: overtime is generally due for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at not less than time and one-half the regular rate of pay. A workweek is a fixed, recurring 168-hour period (seven straight 24-hour days); it doesn't have to match the calendar week, and you can't average hours across two weeks to avoid overtime. The Act does not require overtime just because you worked a Saturday, Sunday or holiday as such. The regular rate can't be below minimum wage and includes most pay for employment, with specific exclusions the fact sheet lists (certain expense payments, true overtime premiums, discretionary bonuses and gifts, and pay for vacation, holiday or illness time when no work is performed). Piece-rate, salary and commission pay still need overtime figured from the average hourly rate for that week (total pay ÷ hours worked), with extra rules when someone works two different rates in one week. DOL also flags common problems: a flat sum for "Sunday overtime" that ignores actual hours usually doesn't count as a proper overtime premium; a fixed salary for a 45-hour week still leaves overtime owing on the hours over 40; and overtime rights can't be waived by an agreement, a company policy that "no overtime is allowed," or a rule that only pre-approved overtime is paid—if you worked the hours, the pay question remains. Paste one week's hours and pay type into any chat AI for a plain checklist and the Wage and Hour helpline. Some jobs are exempt; only DOL or a qualified advisor can sort your classification.

Copy-paste prompt

No bot needed: paste this into Grok, ChatGPT, or Claude.

Help me check one workweek of hours against the FLSA overtime basics in DOL Wage and Hour Fact Sheet #23. This is not legal advice and you can't decide if my job is exempt.

My job in plain words: [retail / restaurant / warehouse / construction labor / office hourly / delivery / other]. How I'm paid: [hourly $___ / weekly salary $___ for a stated ___-hour week / piece rate / commission + hourly]. Employer size / interstate work: [small local / larger company / not sure]. State: [state]. I am NOT pasting my SSN, employee ID or bank info.

One workweek (seven straight days my employer uses, if I know it):
Day-by-day hours actually worked: [e.g. Mon 8, Tue 10, Wed 8, Thu 9, Fri 8, Sat 0, Sun 0] — total [ ].
Paid time off that week when I did not work: [vacation/holiday/sick hours, if any].
Any flat "overtime bonus" or Sunday lump sum: [amount / none].

1. Add the hours I actually worked. If over 40, show the overtime hours (total − 40). Remind me hours aren't averaged across weeks.
2. Explain in plain words: time-and-a-half of the regular rate for hours over 40; Saturday/Sunday/holiday work isn't automatically overtime unless those hours push the week over 40 (or a separate rule applies).
3. If I'm paid a salary for a workweek longer than 40 hours, show Fact Sheet #23's idea: divide the straight-time salary by the hours it was meant to cover to get a regular rate, then overtime is due at one-half that rate for each hour over 40 (on top of the salary that already covered straight time)—and label it as an example from the fact sheet, not my exact pay.
4. Flag Fact Sheet #23 problem patterns if they appear: flat sum for varying overtime hours; agreements that only count 40 hours; "overtime must be pre-approved or it won't be paid."
5. List what I should gather next (pay stubs, time records, offer letter) and point me to the Wage and Hour helpline 1-866-4USWAGE (1-866-487-9243) and dol.gov/agencies/whd. Mention my state labor office may have extra rules.
6. End with: some employees are exempt; this chat can't classify me. If hours look unpaid, contact Wage and Hour or a qualified advisor.

Never ask for SSN, full account numbers or passwords.

What you need

• Any chat AI (Grok, ChatGPT, Claude)
• One week's hours and how you're paid (totals only)
• Pay stubs if you have them (optional; black out SSN)

Sources

• DOL Wage and Hour: Fact Sheet #23 — Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA
• DOL Wage and Hour: Overtime
• Related: Hours-worked log for hourly jobs
• Related: Daily tip log for tipped jobs
• Related: Job search tracker

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