Use this easy guide for handling overtime with ease with a breakdown of federal and state laws, overtime exemptions, and stepbystep calculations. For instance, in California, the initial amount of time an employee must work before receiving overtime pay is only eight hours.Any work in excess of 12 hours in one day shall be compensated at the rate of no less than twice the regular rate of pay for an employee. Illinois law sets the overtime pay rate at one and a half times your regular hourly wage. California overtime law requires employers to pay these employees twice their regular pay when more than 12 hours are performed in a workday. These FAQs are not to be considered complete and do not relieve employers from complying with applicable IDOL laws and regulations. 1. The Fair Workweek Ordinance requires certain employers to provide workers with predictable work schedules and compensation for changes. FLSA overtime laws apply in Florida: any hours worked over 40 in a week must be paid at oneandonehalf an employee's regular rate. In California, overtime must be paid for hours worked in excess of eight per day or 40 per week. In the U.S., the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) oversees federal overtime laws.