United States Code
USC most recently checked for updates: Dec 09, 2024
§ 5544.
Wage-board overtime and Sunday rates; computation
(a)
An employee whose pay is fixed and adjusted from time to time in accordance with prevailing rates under section 5343 or 5349 of this title, or by a wage board or similar administrative authority serving the same purpose, is entitled to overtime pay for overtime work in excess of 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. However, an employee subject to this subsection who regularly is required to remain at or within the confines of his post of duty in excess of 8 hours a day in a standby or on-call status is entitled to overtime pay only for hours of duty, exclusive of eating and sleeping time, in excess of 40 a week. The overtime hourly rate of pay is computed as follows:
(1)
If the basic rate of pay of the employee is fixed on a basis other than an annual or monthly basis, multiply the basic hourly rate of pay by not less than one and one-half.
(2)
If the basic rate of pay of the employee is fixed on an annual basis, divide the basic annual rate of pay by 2,087, and multiply the quotient by one and one-half.
(3)
If the basic rate of pay of the employee is fixed on a monthly basis, multiply the basic monthly rate of pay by 12 to derive a basic annual rate of pay, divide the basic annual rate of pay by 2,087, and multiply the quotient by one and one-half.
An employee subject to this subsection whose regular work schedule includes an 8-hour period of service a part of which is on Sunday is entitled to additional pay at the rate of 25 percent of his hourly rate of basic pay for each hour of work performed during that 8-hour period of service. For employees serving outside the United States in areas where Sunday is a routine workday and another day of the week is officially recognized as the day of rest and worship, the Secretary of State may designate the officially recognized day of rest and worship as the day with respect to which the preceding sentence shall apply instead of Sunday. Time spent in a travel status away from the official duty station of an employee subject to this subsection is not hours of work unless the travel (i) involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or (iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively (including travel by the employee to such event and the return of the employee from such event to the employee’s official duty station). The first and third sentences of this subsection shall not be applicable to an employee who is subject to the overtime pay provisions of section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. In the case of an employee who would, were it not for the preceding sentence, be subject to the first and third sentences of this subsection, the Office of Personnel Management shall by regulation prescribe what hours shall be deemed to be hours of work and what hours of work shall be deemed to be overtime hours for the purpose of such section 7 so as to ensure that no employee receives less pay by reason of the preceding sentence.
(b)
An employee under the Office of the Architect of the Capitol who is paid on a daily or hourly basis and who is not subject to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of this title is entitled to overtime pay for overtime work in accordance with subsection (a) of this section. The overtime hourly rate of pay is computed in accordance with subsection (a)(1) of this section.
(c)
The provisions of this section, including the last two sentences of subsection (a) and the provisions of section 5543(b), shall apply to a prevailing rate employee described in section 5342(a)(2)(B).
(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966 , 80 Stat. 486; Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(26)(A), Sept. 11, 1967 , 81 Stat. 200; Pub. L. 90–206, title II, § 222(d), Dec. 16, 1967 , 81 Stat. 641; Pub. L. 92–392, § 5, Aug. 19, 1972 , 86 Stat. 573; Pub. L. 101–509, title V, § 529 [title II, § 210(3)], Nov. 5, 1990 , 104 Stat. 1427, 1460; Pub. L. 102–378, § 2(42), Oct. 2, 1992 , 106 Stat. 1352; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XVI, § 1610(b), Sept. 23, 1996 , 110 Stat. 2738; Pub. L. 105–277, div. G, subdiv. B, title XXIII, § 2317(1), Oct. 21, 1998 , 112 Stat. 2681–829; Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XI, § 1110, Jan. 28, 2008 , 122 Stat. 360.)
cite as: 5 USC 5544