FLSA · May 01, 2025

Before we can fully understand what overtime is, we need to understand how the Fair Labor Standards Act defines a workweek. FLSA says that an employee's workweek is a fixed and regularly recurring period of 168 hours — seven consecutive 24-hour periods. It doesn't have to coincide with the calendar week but may begin on any day and at any hour of the day. Averaging hours over two or more weeks is not permitted.