40
Federal Overtime
For covered nonexempt employees, the FLSA generally requires overtime at one-and-one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek.
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Hours Worked
Overtime & Breaks
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Hours Still Count When the Work Counts
20
Short Breaks
When an employer provides short rest periods, typically 20 minutes or less, federal rules generally treat them as hours worked.
30
Meal Periods
Bona fide meal periods are generally not work time when the employee is completely relieved from duty. Simply calling something "lunch" does not determine the result.
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Off-the-Clock Work
Work the employer suffers or permits can count as hours worked even when it occurs outside a scheduled shift.
Technician reminder:
opening required systems, receiving instructions, required
paperwork, work calls, required loading and other actual duties
can matter to an hours-worked analysis.
Source links reviewed September 20, 2026.
Rules and guidance can change; open the primary source
for the current text.
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