5.4 Overtime Pay for Support Staff

This policy was last updated January 1, 2021. See the update history page for more information.

5.4.1 General Policy

Support Staff receive overtime pay for all hours worked in excess of forty (40) hours in a payroll week. Hours worked and most paid absences (including Sick Time, vacation, and holidays) count toward the computation of overtime. Time taken for meal breaks should not be considered as time worked for pay purposes or the computation of overtime.  (See Section 5.11, Meal Pay, for time worked beyond the normal work schedule.)

The safety of employees must be considered if they are working after normal working hours. An employee may not work alone with shop or laboratory equipment, particularly in hazardous areas or remote locations. In addition, MIT's policy on Working Alone applies to those working under potentially hazardous conditions, whether during or after normal working hours.

5.4.2 Notice and Assignment of Overtime

From time to time it may become necessary for a supervisor to require an employee or employees to work overtime hours in a week, in order to complete work by a deadline, to compensate for a temporary reduction in staff, or for other operational reasons. Overtime work must be authorized in advance by a departmental supervisor, and employees should be provided with reasonable advance notice by their supervisors of the need for such overtime work. Overtime should be assigned and distributed among all eligible employees.

5.4.3 Workweek Calculation

The payroll workweek is Monday through Sunday. The normal workweek is Monday through Friday for most Support Staff employees. However, there are Tuesday through Saturday, and Wednesday through Sunday workweeks as well as second and third shifts scheduled Monday through Sunday.

5.4.4 Determining Hours for Premium Overtime Pay

The premium rate of pay of one and one-half the base hourly rate will be applied to all hours paid in excess of forty in the workweek to the extent that there are hours actually worked during the workweek. (Exceptions may be made in the case of Institute emergency closings or special holidays.) The latest hours worked will be considered as the premium hours.

In determining premium hours to be paid for the week, all forms of paid leave will be counted in the same manner as hours worked with the exceptions of Special Holiday Closing, Emergency Closing, Early Release, and any leaves paid at the State Formula Rate (see Sections 4.3 Leaves for Employee Injury or Illness and 4.4, Family Leaves). To the extent that the employee does not work during these closings or release, the paid leave hours will be counted toward premium pay like any other form of paid leave. However, to the extent that an employee does work during these closings or release, the paid leave hours will not be counted toward premium pay for the week, but rather the hours worked will be counted.

For more information regarding the payment of overtime hours in special situations, see Section 5.7, Lateness, and Section 5.8, Emergency Closing or Early Release.

For more information regarding hours worked beyond the normal workweek, see Section 5.6, Compensatory Time Off for Support Staff.