Overtime pay

Overtime pay is the statutory supplement for overtime: at least 50 percent extra on top of your normal wage, and 100 percent extra on Sundays and public holidays. Besides the supplement you are normally also entitled to compensatory rest.

When do hours count as overtime?

The normal limit is 8 hours per day and 38 hours per week (or your sector limit; many companies run 40 hours with compensation days). Working beyond that at your employer's request makes it overtime. The law restricts overtime to specific cases such as an extraordinary increase in work or unforeseen necessity, though practice in many technical roles is organised more flexibly through the work regulations.

What do you get for it?

Overtime pay is at least 150 percent of your normal hourly wage, and 200 percent on Sundays and public holidays. You also build up compensatory rest so your average working time over the reference period stays correct. Note the difference with voluntary overtime: that carries the supplement but no compensatory rest, within a yearly quota.

Tax advantage

For a limited number of overtime hours per year there is a tax reduction and a payroll withholding discount, for both you and your employer. That means you keep more net from an overtime hour than from an ordinary one. Structurally working lots of overtime remains a signal to discuss staffing, or a better paying job.