Overtime Calculator
Canadian overtime pay calculator for shift workers
Built for Canadian nurses, paramedics, firefighters, and anyone on rotating shifts. Enter your hourly rate and hours worked — we'll break down straight-time, time-and-a-half (1.5×), and double-time (2×) in CAD.
Your week
Estimated pay
48 total hours
Tired of eyeballing your paystub?
ShiftChange Home audits every pay period against the shifts you actually worked — catches missed OT, wrong differentials, and unpaid hours automatically.
Try the pay-period auditHow overtime pay is calculated in Canada
Overtime in Canada is set provincially (or federally for banks, airlines, telecom, and interprovincial transport). The general rule is time-and-a-half (1.5×) your regular hourly rate after a weekly threshold, but the threshold — and any daily trigger — varies by jurisdiction.
- Federal (Canada Labour Code): 1.5× after 40 hrs/week.
- Ontario: 1.5× after 44 hrs/week.
- British Columbia: 1.5× after 8 hrs/day or 40 hrs/week; 2× after 12 hrs/day.
- Alberta: 1.5× after 8 hrs/day or 44 hrs/week (whichever is greater).
- Quebec: 1.5× after 40 hrs/week.
- Saskatchewan: 1.5× after 8 hrs/day or 40 hrs/week.
- Manitoba, NB, NS, PEI, NL: generally 1.5× after 40–48 hrs/week — check your province.
Many collective agreements (nursing unions, IAFF locals, paramedic associations) layer double-time (2×) on top for statutory holidays, call-backs, or hours past a second daily cap.
Why Canadian shift workers get shortchanged
Rotating 12-hour schedules, on-call callbacks, stat-holiday premiums, and shift differentials make bi-weekly paystubs hard to eyeball. A missed OT hour on a nurse's four-shift week is real money — repeat it 26 pay periods a year and it adds up fast. ShiftChange Home reconciles every paystub against the shifts you actually worked, so missed overtime, wrong premiums, and unpaid call-backs get flagged automatically.
Frequently asked
How is overtime pay calculated in Canada?
Most provinces require 1.5× your regular hourly rate after 40 or 44 hours in a week. BC and Alberta add a daily trigger at 8 hours. Federally regulated workers get overtime after 40 hours/week.
Do 12-hour shift workers get overtime?
Yes. Nurses, paramedics, and firefighters on 12-hour rotations typically hit overtime once weekly hours cross the provincial threshold, or under BC/Alberta daily rules. Averaging agreements can change this — check your collective agreement.
What counts as double-time in Canada?
Double-time (2×) commonly applies to statutory holidays, hours past a daily cap (e.g. BC over 12 hrs/day), or contractually under a collective agreement. Rules vary by province and by contract.