Double time pay
Twice the regular rate. Federal law never requires it; one state does, and many contracts do.
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Double time means an hour paid at twice the regular rate. It is common enough on job postings and pay stubs that many people assume it is a legal requirement for holidays or long shifts. In most of the country it is not; where it applies, it comes from one state's law or from a contract.
Federal law
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires time and a half for hours over 40 in a workweek and nothing higher. It also does not require extra pay for weekends, nights or public holidays. An employer that pays only straight time on Christmas Day, for a worker under 40 hours that week, is following federal law.
California
California is the one state that requires double time for most non-exempt workers:
- Hours over 12 in a single workday.
- Hours over 8 on the seventh consecutive day worked in a workweek.
A 14 hour day in California is therefore 8 hours at the regular rate, 4 at time and a half, and 2 at double time. The California overtime calculator applies these rules to a full week of punches.
Contracts, holidays and company policy
Outside California, double time usually comes from a union agreement or an employer policy. Typical provisions are double time on Sundays, on recognised holidays, after 12 hours in a day, or for being called back after a shift. These are enforceable as contract terms and will usually be printed on the stub as a separate pay code.
Calculating double time
| Hourly rate | Time and a half | Double time | 4 hours at double time |
|---|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $22.50 | $30.00 | $120.00 |
| $18.00 | $27.00 | $36.00 | $144.00 |
| $20.00 | $30.00 | $40.00 | $160.00 |
| $25.00 | $37.50 | $50.00 | $200.00 |
| $32.00 | $48.00 | $64.00 | $256.00 |
As with overtime, the multiplier applies to the regular rate, which includes shift differentials and non-discretionary bonuses. If those apply to you, see regular rate of pay first.
Double time and the 40 hour count
Double time hours are still hours worked. In California, hours already paid as daily overtime or double time are not counted again toward weekly overtime, so the week never pays the same hour twice. Holiday hours paid at double time under a contract, but not worked, do not count toward the federal 40.
Checking a stub with double time
Look for three separate hour lines: regular, overtime (1.5x) and double time (2x). Multiply each by its rate and add them up. In the time card calculator, set the overtime rule to California and the totals block shows a double time line whenever a day goes past 12 hours or the seventh day rule is triggered.
Frequently asked questions
Is double time required on holidays?
Not by federal law or by any state holiday law in general. Holiday double time comes from employer policy or a union contract.
What is double time and a half?
Two and a half times the regular rate. It appears in some contracts for working on a holiday, and is not required by law.
How do I calculate double time?
Multiply the regular hourly rate by 2, then by the double time hours. At $22 an hour, 3 hours of double time is $132.