Grounds ToolkitLabor and Crews
What Does Overtime Actually Cost This Crew This Week?
Enter crew size, hours worked this week, and wage. This prices hours past the regular threshold at 1.5x the loaded rate, and shows the total cost across the whole crew.
How this is calculated
Hours worked are split at the regular threshold, 40 hours by default (federal FLSA). Hours at or under the threshold are paid at the loaded rate (wage plus burden). Hours past the threshold are paid at 1.5 times the loaded rate, the federal overtime multiplier. Both are multiplied by crew size for a total weekly crew cost. See Methodology for how the loaded rate is built.
Worked example
A 3-person crew each works 45 hours this week at a $22 wage with a 30% burden, a $28.60 loaded rate. Each person has 5 overtime hours, costing $214.50 in overtime alone (5 × $28.60 × 1.5). Across the crew, overtime totals $643.50, on top of $3,432 in regular pay, for $4,075.50 total.
Common mistakes
- Pricing overtime at the base wage instead of the loaded rate, understating true cost.
- Forgetting the 1.5x multiplier applies to the loaded rate, not just the wage.
- Assuming a state's daily overtime rules match the federal 40-hour weekly threshold used here by default.
Frequently asked questions
Why is overtime always 1.5x?
The 1.5x multiplier is the federal FLSA overtime rate, a legal requirement, not an estimate or a sourced default. The 40-hour weekly threshold is also the federal default, editable for state-specific rules.
Does this assume every crew member works the same hours?
Yes, it applies one hours-worked figure across the whole crew size entered. If crew members worked different hours, run this once per person, or use the crew member with the most hours to see the worst case.
What is the overtime premium?
It is the extra cost of overtime hours beyond what those same hours would have cost at the regular rate. It isolates the true cost of choosing overtime over adding capacity another way.
Does this include payroll taxes and workers comp on the overtime pay?
Yes, the loaded rate (wage plus burden) is applied to both regular and overtime hours before the 1.5x multiplier, so the full burden is reflected throughout.