Three federal overtime frameworks. One calculator. Standard FLSA 40-hour, the hospital-specific 8/80 rule, and blended travel rates — all with shift differentials baked into the overtime base. Because your employer knows this math. Now you do too.
Your current schedule annualized — at the same weekly hours. No raises, no scope creep. Just the math on repeat.
| Method | OT hours | OT pay | Total gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 40-hr FLSA | — | — | — |
| Hospital 8/80 Rule | — | — | — |
Under FLSA, hospitals using the 8/80 exemption must calculate both methods and pay whichever results in more overtime for the employee. The "Better for you" tag is the one we used for your gross pay above — it's what your hospital owes you this week. If your paycheck shows less, that's a conversation with HR.
Shift differentials must be included in your regular rate when calculating OT. Excluding them is an FLSA violation.
Private hospitals cannot substitute comp time for cash overtime. OT must be paid at 1.5× in the same pay period.
Employers may not round worked hours downward. You must be paid for all time worked, including pre/post-shift charting.
On-call time spent at the hospital — where your freedom is significantly restricted — typically counts as hours worked.
The single most common FLSA violation in U.S. hospitals is excluding shift differentials from the overtime regular rate. Federal law (29 U.S.C. §207, 29 CFR §778) is unambiguous: your "regular rate" includes all remuneration for employment except a narrow list of statutory exclusions (gifts, vacation pay, certain bonuses). Night differentials, weekend premiums, charge pay, and lead pay are all part of the regular rate. If your employer pays you $38/hr base + $4/hr night differential, your overtime rate is $63/hr (1.5 × $42), not $57/hr (1.5 × $38). Hospitals that miscalculate this — including very large systems — can owe years of back wages plus liquidated damages.
The hospital-specific 8/80 rule (FLSA §207(j)) lets healthcare employers use a 14-day pay period instead of a 7-day workweek, with overtime due after 8 hours in a single day OR 80 hours in the period. The catch: this is an exemption, not a default — it requires a written agreement between you and your employer. If there's no signed agreement on file, your employer must use the standard 40-hour rule. Many nurses don't know this.
Travel nurses face a different wrinkle: agencies often quote a blended bill rate that combines taxable wages and stipends. Your overtime regular rate must be calculated on the blended taxable portion — and not always cleanly on stipends, which is a frequent source of miscalculation. If you're on a travel contract, ask your agency in writing how OT is computed and validate it against this calculator.
Pull your last pay stub. Enter your base rate, hours per shift, shifts per week, and the differentials you actually receive. Pick the OT method your employer uses (8/80 or standard 40). The total gross this calculator produces should match — or exceed — what your employer paid. Any meaningful gap is worth a conversation with HR or the DOL Wage and Hour Division.
For a more comprehensive picture of off-hours pay, pair this with the Shift Differential Calculator (annual value of differentials) and the Salary Negotiation Script (how to use these numbers to ask for a base bump).
Educational tool. Not legal advice. For specific FLSA disputes, consult your state DOL Wage and Hour Division or an employment attorney. Federal FLSA does not preempt more generous state overtime laws — California, for example, requires daily overtime after 8 hours regardless of weekly total.