Workweek

What is a workweek?

By definition, a workweek is any seven consecutive 24-hour periods established by your organization, for a total of 168 hours.

You may choose to start your organization’s working week on Monday and end on Sunday, while for others the workweek may start on Thursday and end on Wednesday. This may vary depending on industry.

How many hours are in a workweek?

The number of hours in a workweek is up to your organization. On an individual basis, a workweek may refer to the number of hours an employee works during those seven consecutive 24-hour periods.

A workweek is as long as your employees are scheduled to work during that period. Full-time work is usually considered anything more than 30 or 35 hours per week. But with part-time employees, the concept can vary drastically.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employees who usually work less than 35 hours a week are classed as part-time. But for federal agencies, the US Office of Personnel Management states part-time work as less than 40 hours a week.

For hourly workers, any additional time worked beyond 40 hours during a workweek is categorized in payroll as overtime pay and paid at an increased rate.

Meanwhile, salaried employees, also known as exempt employees, have no limit to the number of hours they can work during a workweek. These employees receive a fixed salary regardless.

How is a workweek defined under FLSA?

According to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), a workweek is defined as a fixed, recurring period totaling 168 hours (seven 24-hour days). It’s an important distinction that forces you to define overtime pay and remain compliant with the FLSA.

Your organization must adhere to this workweek definition to remain compliant. A willful violation may result in fines of up to $10,000, with a second conviction resulting in imprisonment.

Overtime pay

The workweek is the basis for determining the total overtime pay that's due to employees under the FLSA. Measuring working time by workweek requires you to pay non-exempt employees an overtime rate for any hours after the first 40 of each workweek.

Otherwise, if you were to base overtime compensation on how many hours an employee works during a pay period (which often covers two weeks), you'd only offer pay for hours that exceed 80 during the two-week pay period.

Can I change my company’s workweek?

In most cases, you can change the work schedule of employees without prior notice or consent—unless subject to a prior agreement. If you do adjust your workweek, remember to take employee morale and wellbeing into consideration and allow them as much notice as you can.

For example, let’s say your business was previously closed on Monday, and you used that as the start of your workweek. But then, you decide to remain open on Mondays and instead close on Saturdays. In that case, you would want to change the beginning of your workweek to Saturday.

When was the workweek invented?

While calls for the eight-hour workday date back to the mid-1800s, one of the first major companies to adopt a standard 40-hour workweek was Ford Motors in 1926.

The elements of the present-day workweek (40 hours generally spread over, five days each week) existed before the FLSA was enacted in 1938. The defined workweek that the United States was created to support the health and well-being of factory workers. In the act, a 44-hour workweek was established as law but was later amended to 40 hours in 1940.

How do I choose when to start my workweek?

You should start your company’s official workweek on a day when your employees don’t work. It is much easier to calculate payroll when your employees are not actively gaining hours.

For example, say your business is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM. While the workweek would technically start on Tuesday for your employees, having an official start on Monday will make it easier to differentiate overtime hours from regular hours.

Using multiple workweeks

But what if your business runs seven days a week? The best way to approach this is to create multiple workweeks that apply to different groups of employees.

For example, say your business has three different work schedules: Monday through Friday, Tuesday through Saturday, and Wednesday through Sunday. Each of those work schedule groups could have different workweeks, starting on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. This would allow you to calculate overtime and regular pay on a day those employees do not work.

How to communicate a change in workweek to your employees

If you’re in the process of changing workweeks, it’s important to be mindful of your employees. Any significant changes to current working arrangements may be met with opposition. Before you initiate the change, you may decide to allow your employees to offer feedback. This may help to improve the familiarity and acceptance of the adjustment.

Aim to be as transparent as possible with your rationale—your employers will want to know why the change is happening and how it’ll affect their work. Keep them connected to the purpose of your organization.

You’ll need to establish a strong internal communication strategy. It’s helpful to notify your employees as soon as possible of the change. You may also need to update employee contracts and your handbook.