In the working world overtime pay is defined any hours worked by a nonexempt employee that exceeds the standard working hours, and is met with an additional amount of regular payment. For all hard working employees that are entitled to extra pay for working longer hours, they see it as great opportunity to make some extra cash or to catch up on work they missed out on. However, some employees might grumble about the idea of working longer hours along with their regular 9 – 5 grind.

For Californians, overtime can be beneficial for some employees who are qualified to earn a bit more. Here is a list of other plusses employees can get from working overtime

Getting Things Done

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Day to day, employees' schedules change due to time constraints and unplanned events like long meetings, last minute requests or those emergency tasks that need immediate attention. With these unplanned occurrences, things with deadlines are bound to get backed up. An employee can use overtime to get any extra work done with the help and approval of their manager. With most jobs, assessing overtime is very common when the work load becomes overwhelming.

"Showing Off"

Employees can request overtime to show their employers that they are hard dedicated workers. Working extra also helps improve the overall office moral when the work overload gets ridiculous. Often, good managers will applaud and give incentives to employees that decide to work longer hours during these crunch times.

Improving Your Skills

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Logically, the more time spent at something, the better you'll become at it. With the recognition from your employer along with your developing skills, there could be a good chance of a promotion in your future. If no promotion comes out of it, the good news is you are improving your own personal skill set for better positions.

The Extra Pay

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The one thing most employees look forward to when they request or get called in for overtime work. Believe it or not, there are some jobs that are exempt from overtime pay in CA. These workers are not entitled for extra pay when working overtime. Some of these jobs include:

Outside sales

Professional Actors

Student Nurses

Taxi drivers

Licensed Physicians

According to state labor laws, nonexempt employees, part time and full time, who exceed the standard 8-hour work day or 40 hour work week shall be paid one and one-half the regular payment. An employee who exceed 12 working hours in a day is owed double their regular rate of pay.

Remember, Don't Over Do It…

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Keep this in mind. Overtime work does have its perks, but there are a couple things you might have to be smart about.

First, work to your best ability. Do not exert yourself or let it consume your outside life. You might be mentally capable of working a few hours more from now and then. But there's no need to consistently go overboard. You might risk burning yourself out. Plus, there's a chance your manager might appreciate your "extra" efforts a bit less or start denying your constant overtime requests.

Secondly, for those times you need to work overtime, be sure that you are receiving the right payment when you are over the standard 8 hours. There have been countless scenarios where employers have committed acts of wage and hour violations both intentionally and unintentionally. By law, non-exempt California employees must receive overtime pay. If you are unsure that you are classified as nonexempt employee or if you have the suspicion of being unfairly compensated for working extra the best thing to do is get advice from a local attorney who knows these laws and is capable of taking action for your fair compensation.