Template · Time off and attendance
Overtime request form
In short
An overtime authorization form records a request to work hours beyond the normal schedule: who will work them, when, why, the estimated hours and cost, and who approved it in advance. This template supports both employee requests and manager-assigned overtime, and the page explains why unapproved overtime must still be paid under the FLSA.
Overtime Authorization Form template
Overtime Authorization Form
Overtime must be approved in advance except in an emergency. If you work overtime that was not approved, record all hours worked on your timesheet anyway. You will be paid for every hour you work; working unapproved overtime may be addressed under the overtime policy.
Employee details
- Employee name
- Employee ID
- Job title
- Department / cost center
- Supervisor
- Pay status
- Non-exempt (hourly)Non-exempt (salaried)Exempt (overtime under special policy only)
Overtime requested
- Request type
- Employee requestManager assigned (voluntary)Manager assigned (mandatory, per policy)Emergency (approved after the fact)
- Workweek starting
- Date(s) of overtime
- Planned start and end times
- Hours already scheduled this workweek
- Estimated overtime hours (over 40 in the workweek)
- Estimated daily overtime or double-time hours (where state law applies)
- Reason / business need (for example backlog, coverage gap, volume spike, project deadline)
- Alternatives considered (part-time staff, temp, shift swap, deferring work)
Cost estimate
- Regular rate of pay (including shift differentials and non-discretionary bonuses)
- Overtime rate (1.5 x regular rate)
- Estimated overtime cost
- Budget or account code
Employee acknowledgement
- I will record all hours actually worked, including overtime, on my timesheet.
- Employee signature
- Date
Approval
- Decision
- Approved as requestedApproved with changesDenied
- Approved hours and dates
- Comments or reason for denial
- Supervisor signature
- Date
- Second approver (department head or finance, if above [Number] hours or [$ Amount])
- Date
Payroll use only
- Actual overtime hours worked
- Difference from approved hours explained
- Processed in pay period ending
How to use this template
- Submit the form before the workweek starts or as soon as the need is known, and before the overtime is worked except in emergencies.
- Enter hours already scheduled for the whole workweek so the approver can see how many hours will actually be over 40.
- Calculate cost using the employee's regular rate, including shift differentials and non-discretionary bonuses, not just the base hourly rate.
- Have the supervisor approve, and route requests above your threshold to a department head or finance.
- Record actual hours on the timesheet, and let payroll reconcile approved versus actual overtime.
- Review overtime by team monthly to spot units that rely on it instead of hiring.
Unapproved overtime still gets paid
This is the rule supervisors most often get wrong. Under the FLSA, an employer must pay non-exempt employees for all hours it "suffers or permits" them to work, including overtime nobody approved. If an agent stays 45 minutes after shift to finish wrap-up work and the supervisor knew or should have known, those minutes count. You cannot refuse to pay, ask the employee to leave it off the timesheet, or bank it as comp time. Private-sector employers cannot give comp time in place of overtime pay for non-exempt employees; that option exists only for public agencies.
What you can do is enforce the approval rule through normal discipline. Pay the hours, then address the policy breach. The form's intro says exactly that, which also protects you if an employee later claims they were told not to record time.
How overtime is calculated
Federal overtime is 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. The workweek is a fixed, recurring 168-hour period you define, and hours cannot be averaged across two weeks.
The regular rate includes more than the base wage. Shift differentials and non-discretionary bonuses, such as attendance or production bonuses, generally must be included. Example: Darnell earns $18 an hour plus a $1.50 night differential for all 46 hours he worked, and a $46 weekly attendance bonus. Straight-time pay is 46 x $19.50 = $897, plus $46 = $943. Regular rate is $943 / 46 = $20.50. Overtime premium is 6 x $10.25 = $61.50. Total pay: $1,004.50. Using the $18 base rate for overtime would underpay him.
Some states add daily overtime. California requires 1.5 times after 8 hours in a workday and double time after 12, plus rules for the seventh consecutive day. Other states have their own variations. Check the FLSA and your state rules for each site.
What a short overtime policy should say
The form works best when it sits under a one-page policy. Cover:
- Who is eligible: non-exempt employees, and any exempt employees you choose to pay under a special policy.
- Advance approval: who approves, the deadline, and the emergency exception.
- How overtime is offered: by seniority, rotation or volunteer list, so it is distributed fairly.
- Mandatory overtime: whether it can be required, how much notice is given, and limits. Some states restrict mandatory overtime for nurses and certain healthcare workers.
- Recording: all hours worked must be recorded, with no off-the-clock work.
- Consequences for working unapproved overtime, applied consistently.
Also check union agreements, which often set distribution rules and premiums above the legal minimum.
Overtime as a staffing signal
Some overtime is healthy: a forecast miss, a storm, a product launch. Persistent overtime is a capacity problem. In a contact center, a team running at 10% overtime week after week is usually understaffed by about that much, and the cost of 1.5x pay plus fatigue-driven attrition often exceeds the cost of hiring another class. Compare overtime hours against your shift schedule and the call center capacity planning template, and treat a rising trend as a trigger to open requisitions rather than a budget line to absorb.
Track approved versus actual hours too. A big gap means work is happening outside the approval process, which is both a cost and a wage-and-hour risk.
Common mistakes
- Refusing to pay overtime that was not pre-approved.
- Calculating overtime on base pay and ignoring differentials and bonuses.
- Averaging hours across a two-week pay period.
- Offering comp time to private-sector hourly employees.
- Handing out overtime informally to favorites, which invites complaints and grievances.
Frequently asked questions
What is an overtime approval form?
It is a record that a supervisor approved a specific number of overtime hours for an employee before they were worked, with the reason, dates and estimated cost. It is the same document as an overtime authorization or overtime request form.
Do employers have to pay overtime that was not approved?
Yes, for non-exempt employees. Federal law requires payment for all hours the employer suffers or permits the employee to work. The employer can discipline for breaking the approval rule but must still pay the hours.
Can an employer require mandatory overtime?
Under federal law, generally yes for employees 16 and older, as long as overtime is paid. Some states limit mandatory overtime for certain healthcare workers, and union contracts often set rules. Explain the rules in your overtime policy.
What should an overtime policy include?
Eligibility, the workweek definition, how to request and approve overtime, how it is distributed, whether it can be mandatory, recording rules, and consequences for working unapproved overtime, along with any state-specific daily overtime rules.
Do exempt employees need an overtime request form?
Usually not, since exempt employees are not entitled to overtime under the FLSA. Some employers pay exempt staff extra for specific events, such as a system migration weekend, and use the same form to approve and track that pay.