Overtime Calculator
Calculate overtime pay under the BCEA: 1.5× weekday, 2× Sunday and public holidays.
Last reviewed: Tax year: 2026/2027Source: Department of Employment and Labour — BCEA s10–17
Overtime under the BCEA — the basics
Section 10 of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) requires that overtime is paid at a premium whenever an employee works beyond ordinary hours. The rates are not negotiable below the statutory minimum for covered employees. Overtime hours are also capped — an employer cannot simply demand unlimited overtime even at the correct rate.
The BCEA overtime rules apply to all employees earning below the earnings threshold of R270,641/year (approximately R22,553/month). Employees above this threshold are excluded from the statutory overtime and working-hours provisions — their terms are governed by contract.
Overtime rates and caps
| Type of work | Rate | Maximum hours |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday overtime (beyond 45h/week or 9h/day) | 1.5× ordinary wage | 10 hours/week (15h by agreement) |
| Sunday work (if Sunday is not an ordinary work day) | 2× ordinary wage | As agreed |
| Sunday work (if Sunday IS an ordinary work day) | 1.5× ordinary wage | As agreed |
| Public holiday work (not ordinary work day) | 2× ordinary wage + ordinary day wage | — |
| Public holiday work (is ordinary work day) | Double ordinary wage | — |
The BCEA also caps total weekly hours (including overtime) at 55 hours per week. Overtime cannot exceed 10 hours per week (or 15 hours per week by written agreement, but that agreement may not apply for more than 2 months in a 12-month period).
Calculating daily and hourly rates from a monthly salary
To apply the overtime rate you first need to derive the hourly wage from the monthly salary. SARS and the Department of Labour use a standard divisor:
| Calculation | Divisor / formula |
|---|---|
| Monthly to hourly (45h/wk) | Monthly ÷ 195 |
| Monthly to daily (5-day week) | Monthly ÷ 21.67 |
| Annual to hourly (45h/wk) | Annual ÷ 2,340 |
| Annual to daily (5-day week) | Annual ÷ 260 |
Worked examples
Warehouse worker — 8 hours overtime on a weekday
Monthly salary R12,000. Worked 53 hours in a week (45 ordinary + 8 overtime). Standard 45-hour week.
- Monthly salary
- R12,000
- Hourly rate (÷ 195)
- R61.54/hour
- Ordinary weekly pay (45h)
- R2,769.23
- Overtime hours
- 8
- Overtime rate (1.5×)
- R92.31/hour
- Overtime pay
- R738.48
Security guard — Sunday shift (not ordinary work day)
Hourly rate R75. Called in for an 8-hour Sunday shift. Sunday is not part of their ordinary schedule.
- Ordinary hourly rate
- R75.00
- Sunday rate (2×)
- R150.00/hour
- Hours worked Sunday
- 8
- Sunday pay
- R1200.00
Driver — public holiday (Workers’ Day), called in, not ordinary work day
Monthly salary R18,000. Public holiday is not part of their contracted schedule. Worked 9 hours.
- Monthly salary
- R18,000
- Hourly rate (÷ 195)
- R92.31/hour
- Would-have-earned that day (ordinary day wage)
- R92.31 × 9 = R830.77
- Public holiday premium (2× rate)
- R1661.58
- Total pay for public holiday
- R1661.58
Time off in lieu (TOIL) — the alternative to cash
A BCEA-covered employee may agree in writing to receive paid time off instead of overtime cash. The exchange rate is 90 minutes off for every 60 minutes of overtime worked. This must be taken within one month of the overtime being worked (unless a collective agreement allows a longer period).
For employers: TOIL is often preferred because it delays the cash outflow and reduces payroll in high-overtime months. For employees: the 90-minute exchange is mathematically equivalent to the 1.5× rate — you’re not losing anything — but you do lose the option to bank cash. Make sure the agreement is in writing and the TOIL is actually granted within the window.
Employees above the earnings threshold
If you earn more than R270,641/year, the BCEA’s overtime and working-hours sections don’t automatically apply to you. Your overtime terms are whatever your contract says. This has two practical consequences:
- You can contractually agree to work more than 10 hours overtime/week without an additional agreement, and the employer can set their own rate (even less than 1.5×, or “included in salary”).
- If your contract is silent on overtime, a court would apply the BCEA principles as a reasonable starting point — but you’d have to argue for it.
Check your contract carefully if you’re near or above the threshold. An “all-inclusive” salary clause can legally swallow overtime obligations above the threshold.
How this calculator works
Enter your basic salary (monthly or hourly), the number of overtime hours worked, and the type of day (weekday, Saturday, Sunday, public holiday). The calculator returns the overtime pay due at the applicable BCEA rate, plus your total remuneration for the period.
Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
The national minimum wage is R30.23 per hour. Overtime is typically paid at 1.5× the hourly rate on weekdays and 2× on Sundays and public holidays, as per the BCEA.
Yes. All overtime wages are subject to income tax. They are added to your gross income for the year and taxed at your marginal tax rate.
Employees earning less than the threshold (R249,285.25 per year in 2026/2027) are entitled to overtime pay. Those above the threshold may negotiate overtime differently.
Work on Sundays and public holidays is paid at 2× the ordinary rate (double time) under the BCEA, unless the employee ordinarily works on these days, in which case Sunday pay is ordinary rate plus 1× the rate.