CSLB Law & Business ExamEmployment RequirementsEasy
An employee's workweek totals 45 hours, with no single workday exceeding 8 hours. Under California overtime law, how many of those hours must be paid at one and one-half times the regular rate?
- A5 hours
- B8 hours
- C45 hours
- D3 hours
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. 5 hours
California law requires overtime pay of 1.5x for hours worked over 40 in a single workweek, regardless of daily hours. 45 - 40 = 5 hours of overtime.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. 8 hours is the daily overtime threshold, not applicable since no day exceeded 8 hours.
- C. All 45 hours are not overtime; only hours beyond 40 qualify.
- D. Does not match the 5-hour excess over the 40-hour weekly threshold.
Weekly Overtime Threshold
California requires overtime pay (1.5x) for all hours worked beyond 40 in a single workweek, even if no daily overtime is triggered.
- Weekly OT applies at 40+ hours regardless of daily distribution.
- Daily OT (over 8 hrs/day) and weekly OT (over 40 hrs/week) are separate triggers.
- Employers must pay whichever overtime rule yields more pay to the employee.
Memory trick: Forty is the fence — anything past it earns time-and-a-half.