What is a workweek?

A workweek is a fixed, recurring period of seven consecutive 24-hour days that employers use to track employee hours, wages, and overtime. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) defines a workweek as a 168-hour period that stays consistent week to week.

For businesses using Homebase payroll, defining a clear workweek helps ensure accurate time tracking, payroll processing, and overtime compliance—eliminating manual errors and reducing administrative burdens.

How a workweek impacts payroll

Employers must establish a consistent workweek to:

Calculate wages and overtime correctly – Non-exempt employees must be paid overtime (1.5x their regular rate) for any hours worked beyond 40 in a workweek.
Track employee schedules accurately – A fixed workweek helps manage shifts, breaks, and time-off requests.
Stay compliant with labor laws – The FLSA and state regulations require businesses to define a workweek clearly.

Workweek vs. employee work schedule

A workweek is a legal timeframe used for payroll, while a work schedule refers to an employee’s assigned work hours. For example:

A company’s workweek might run from Sunday at 12:00 AM to Saturday at 11:59 PM.
An employee’s work schedule could be Monday through Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM.

Defining both clearly helps businesses manage payroll and compliance efficiently.

Overtime rules and the workweek

Under FLSA overtime regulations, employers must:

Pay overtime (1.5x pay) for non-exempt employees who work over 40 hours in a workweek.
Calculate overtime weekly, even if payroll is processed biweekly or monthly.
Follow state-specific laws, which may require daily overtime pay in some cases.

With Homebase payroll, businesses can track hours automatically and ensure accurate overtime calculations—helping them stay compliant without manual tracking.

Avoid payroll mistakes—use Homebase to automate time tracking and overtime pay!

Can an employer change an employee’s workweek?

Employers can adjust a designated workweek, but:

The change must be permanent and not made to avoid overtime payments.
Employees must receive advance notice.
The business must remain compliant with federal and state labor laws.

How Homebase simplifies workweek management

Tracking workweeks manually can be time-consuming, but Homebase payroll makes it easy by: