Book Chapter

2 min read

Overtime and Workweek Determinations

What is a workweek for the purposes of determining when overtime is owed?

Some farmers and ranchers will owe overtime for all hours worked over 40 in the week. This means it’s important to determine the workweek accurately, so we can figure out when to start paying overtime. Many farm workers work untraditional weeks, and the way to distinguish one workweek from another might get hazy. The workweek does not have to coincide with the calendar week nor the customary Monday through Friday business week. It does, however, need to be a regularly recurring period, totaling 168 hours. Each week will be identical, no matter when you determine it starts or ends. Determining both the type of labor assigned and the weeks to which it is assigned is the employer’s responsibility.

Guiding Resilience: A Legal Workshop for Ag Service Providers, Fall 2025

This five-week workshop empowers ag service providers in guiding
farmers and ranchers towards legal resiliency.
Join us in learning the 10 best practices of farm legal risk management.

Live sessions meet at 12 pm CDT on 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, and  10/14

Guiding Resilience: A Legal Workshop for Ag Service Providers, Fall 2025

This five-week workshop empowers ag service providers in guiding
farmers and ranchers towards legal resiliency.
Join us in learning the 10 best practices of farm legal risk management.

Live sessions meet at 12 pm CDT on 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7, and  10/14