After jurisdiction is locked, you route each shift record through the Daily vs. Weekly Overtime Threshold Decision Tree, which maps each state's threshold structure to a calculation path. Some states trigger overtime after 8 hours in a single workday. Most follow the FLSA 40-hour weekly threshold. A few apply both.
Daily vs. Weekly Overtime Threshold Decision Tree
This decision-tree framework, developed by EasyClocking by WorkEasy Software from FLSA 29 U.S.C. § 207 and state-specific overtime statutes, determines whether overtime is triggered by daily hours, weekly hours, or both under the governing state's rules. Use it after jurisdiction assignment, for every shift record belonging to a non-exempt hourly or shift-based employee.
Components:
- Daily Trigger States: States including California, Alaska, Nevada, and Colorado apply overtime after 8 hours in a single workday; this component routes those records to a daily-first calculation path.
- Weekly-Only States: Most states (TX, GA, FL, OH, PA, VA, MI, IL, NY, and others) follow the FLSA 40-hour weekly threshold exclusively; this component routes records to a weekly accumulation path.
- Dual-Trigger States: Washington State and Colorado apply both daily and weekly thresholds; this component routes records through both paths and takes the higher resulting overtime obligation.
- Double-Time Threshold: California and a small number of other states impose a double-time rate (2x) after 12 hours in a day or 8 hours on the 7th consecutive day; this component flags and calculates the elevated rate.
- Workweek Definition Lock: The FLSA-defined workweek (a fixed, regularly recurring 168-hour period) must be established and locked per employer before threshold accumulation begins.
- Blended Rate Calculation: For employees paid at multiple rates in the same workweek, this component calculates the weighted average regular rate before applying the overtime multiplier, per FLSA § 207(g).
Sequence: Jurisdiction code in, then daily-trigger check, then weekly-trigger check, then dual-trigger resolution, then double-time check, then rate calculation, then overtime dollar output.
The platform runs this decision tree in real time as shifts are logged, surfacing mid-week overtime alerts before the payroll close rather than after. For a deeper explanation of how the FLSA regular rate affects these calculations, see FLSA regular rate and overtime calculation.