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Unplanned overtime is one of the most controllable labor costs on the floor — but only if supervisors have enough warning to act before a worker crosses the threshold. TimeKeeper tracks every worker’s cumulative hours in real time, compares them against your configured daily and weekly overtime thresholds, and sends pre-overtime warnings with enough lead time for supervisors to reassign work, end shifts early, or bring in additional coverage. When a threshold is reached, the Console flags the record automatically so the overtime event is documented and ready for supervisor approval before it reaches payroll.

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How Overtime Is Calculated

TimeKeeper calculates overtime using two independent thresholds that you configure per shift or per department:
  • Daily OT threshold: Total hours worked in a single shift day. The most common configuration is 8 hours, after which all additional time is flagged as overtime.
  • Weekly OT threshold: Total hours worked across all shifts in a calendar week (Sunday–Saturday by default, or a custom work week start day). The most common configuration is 40 hours.
Both thresholds run simultaneously. If a worker hits the daily threshold on a day where they are still under the weekly threshold, the daily OT flag fires. The weekly threshold tracks independently and fires when cumulative weekly hours cross the limit — regardless of whether any single day triggered a daily OT event. Break time marked as unpaid is excluded from both calculations. Paid breaks count toward worked hours.

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Configuring Overtime Thresholds

1

Open Shift Settings

In the BreakPoint Console, navigate to Settings → Shifts. Click the shift you want to configure, or click Create Shift for a new shift definition.
2

Navigate to the Overtime Tab

Inside the shift editor, click the Overtime tab to access all OT configuration options.
3

Set the Daily OT Threshold

Enter the number of hours per day after which work is considered overtime. For example, enter 8 for a standard 8-hour workday. Leave blank to disable daily OT tracking for this shift.
4

Set the Weekly OT Threshold

Enter the total hours per week after which cumulative time is flagged as overtime. For example, enter 40 for a standard 40-hour work week. Set your work week start day using the Week Start dropdown (default: Sunday).
5

Configure Pre-Overtime Warning Lead Time

Enter the number of minutes before the OT threshold at which supervisors should receive a pre-overtime warning. A lead time of 30 minutes is recommended — enough time to make staffing adjustments without rushing. You can configure separate lead times for daily and weekly thresholds.
6

Set Worker Wearable Notification

Toggle Notify Worker on or off. When enabled, the worker receives a haptic buzz and an amber LED pulse on their wearable when they are approaching their OT threshold, giving them visibility alongside the supervisor.
7

Save and Apply

Click Save Shift. Overtime tracking begins immediately for all workers clocked into this shift. Changes apply prospectively — they do not recalculate hours already recorded in previous shifts.

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Overtime Alert Types, Triggers, and Recipients

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Reviewing Overtime in the Console

Navigate to TimeKeeper → Overtime to access the full overtime dashboard. The dashboard provides three views:
  • Worker OT Log: A chronological list of every overtime event across the selected date range, showing the worker’s name, shift date, hours worked, OT hours, threshold type (daily or weekly), and approval status.
  • Per-Worker OT Summary: Total OT hours per worker for the selected period, sortable by total OT hours descending — useful for identifying workers consistently near or over threshold.
  • Department OT Rollup: Aggregated OT hours by department, giving operations managers and HR a high-level view of where overtime spend is concentrated.
Use the date range picker to view the current pay period, a custom week, or a rolling 30-day window.
Use pre-overtime warnings proactively rather than reactively. When a warning fires 30 minutes before a worker hits their daily threshold, that is your window to reassign remaining tasks to a different worker, approve the OT deliberately, or arrange a controlled early clock-out. Waiting for the OT threshold alert means the cost is already committed.

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Approving and Flagging Overtime Records

Every overtime event requires supervisor review before the record is considered finalized. Unreviewed OT records appear with a yellow Pending Review badge in the Overtime Log. To review an OT record:
  1. Navigate to TimeKeeper → Overtime → Worker OT Log.
  2. Click the OT record you want to review. The detail panel shows the full shift timeline, total hours, OT hours, and the alert history for that shift.
  3. Select one of two actions:
    • Approve: Confirms the overtime was authorized. Add an optional approval note (for example, “Approved — short-staffed due to two absences”).
    • Flag for Review: Marks the record for follow-up, typically when the OT was unplanned or unauthorized. Add a note explaining the flag.
  4. Click Save. The record is updated with your name, timestamp, and note in the audit trail.
Flagged overtime records are visible in the HR compliance report under TimeKeeper → Reports → Overtime Compliance. Your payroll team can filter approved vs. flagged OT records during payroll processing.

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Exporting Overtime Reports

To export overtime data for payroll or HR review:
  1. Navigate to TimeKeeper → Reports → Overtime Export.
  2. Select the date range, department(s), and whether to include all OT records or only approved records.
  3. Choose CSV for payroll platform import or PDF for printed review records.
  4. Click Export. The file includes each worker’s name, employee ID, shift dates, regular hours, OT hours, threshold type, approval status, and supervisor notes.