Overtime pay is extra hours multiplied by an overtime rate. RotaFlow lets you set that rate directly or as your base rate times an overtime multiplier, saves the rate with each entry and adds the result to estimated gross pay. It is a planning estimate, not payroll or take-home pay.
Overtime is often the part of a shift worker’s pay that changes most, and the easiest part to lose track of. One forgotten hour in a busy week, or a rate that changed halfway through the month, can make a payslip hard to check. Noting the hours, the rate and the date as you go turns that check into a quick comparison.
The basic overtime formula
Overtime pay is the number of extra hours multiplied by the overtime rate. Many employers set that rate as a multiplier of the base hourly rate, such as 1.5 for time and a half or 2 for double time. Others pay a fixed overtime hourly rate. Your contract or collective agreement decides which applies.
RotaFlow supports both. In Working Hours, enter an overtime hourly rate, or use your base rate with an overtime multiplier. New entries start from the overtime rate, or from the base rate times the multiplier.
| Base rate | Multiplier | Overtime rate | Pay for 4 extra hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18.00 | 1.25 | 22.50 | 90.00 |
| 18.00 | 1.5 | 27.00 | 108.00 |
| 18.00 | 2 | 36.00 | 144.00 |
Keep the rate each entry was logged at
Rates change with a pay rise, a new contract or a different overtime agreement. RotaFlow saves the rate with each overtime entry, so past entries keep the rate they were logged at. Changing the rate later affects new entries, not your history.
The pay forecast and overtime totals both use that saved rate, so they agree with each other. In the overtime editor, Reset to default sets an entry back to the rota’s current rate, and the pay rules screen explains how that default is chosen.
Log overtime on the right day
Record extra hours on the date you worked them, with the rate and currency. Each rota keeps one overtime entry per day, so edit the existing entry instead of adding a second one. The editor only warns about entries in the same rota.
Entries logged from Apple Watch, or with Siri as part of Pro, also start at the rota’s overtime rate. Rates and hours accept decimals, so 12.5 hours or a rate of 22.75 is saved exactly as you type it.
Read estimated gross pay with care
Weekly overtime summaries are free. Pro adds month and year summaries, pay-period forecasts and advanced pay rules, such as weekend and public-holiday multipliers or a night differential.
All figures are estimated gross pay. They stay on your device, leave out taxes and deductions, and can differ from payroll if your employer rounds, caps or approves overtime differently. Use them to check a payslip, not to replace it.
Feature FAQ
How do I calculate time and a half?
Multiply your base hourly rate by 1.5 to get the overtime rate, then multiply that by your overtime hours. At 20.00 an hour, three hours at time and a half is 3 × 30.00 = 90.00.
Does changing my overtime rate change past entries?
No. Each entry keeps the rate it was saved with. New entries use the current rate.
Is overtime included in RotaFlow’s pay forecast?
Yes. Logged overtime is added to estimated gross pay for the pay period, using the rate saved with each entry. Pay-period forecasts are part of Pro.