Overtime is one of the most frequently miscalculated parts of South African payroll — the rules change by day of the week, and small errors compound fast across a whole team.
Under the BCEA, overtime rates aren't a flat multiplier:
Applying 1.5× across the board — including Sundays and public holidays — is the single most common overtime error.
The ordinary hourly rate should be based on basic salary only — not total remuneration including allowances or benefits, unless the contract states otherwise. Including allowances inflates every overtime calculation for that employee.
The BCEA caps overtime at 10 hours per week for employees covered by the Act (with some sectoral exceptions). Hours beyond this cap without a valid exemption can expose the employer to a compliance risk, separate from the calculation itself.
Estimating overtime hours instead of recording actual clock-in/clock-out times is a common source of disputes — especially for hourly or shift-based teams. Keep a reliable time record for anyone earning overtime.
Use our Overtime Calculator to verify pay for weekday, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday overtime, or see the full method in our How to Calculate Overtime guide.
Basic salary only, unless the employment contract specifies otherwise — allowances and benefits are normally excluded.
Yes — the BCEA caps overtime at 10 hours per week for covered employees, with some sectoral exceptions.
No — Saturdays are typically paid at 1.5×, the same as weekdays, while Sundays and public holidays are paid at 2×.
TSS Payroll applies the correct BCEA overtime multiplier for weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays — no manual lookups.
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