Overtime ceilings — three numbers to remember
Step 1 / 3·Why this is the most penalised area
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Learning objectives — after this module you will:
- State the three overtime ceilings under Article 107 correctly
- Know when 300 hours a year is permitted and what it requires
- Recognise the consent condition many employers skip
Why this is the most penalised area
See the scale of the risk before going into the numbers.
In labour inspections, overtime is almost always among the first things examined. The reason is practical: it leaves a trail. Timesheets, payroll and contracts are three documents every employer must hold, and cross-checking them is enough to surface a problem.
What is worth noting is that most breaches do not come from an intent to dodge the law. They come from HR calculating correctly in the way it has always calculated — and that way is missing one or two components. The error repeats every month, multiplied by headcount, multiplied by months. By the time it is assessed, the figure is large.
This course follows the order an inspection follows: first, are the hours within the ceilings; then, is the pay complete; and finally, is leave owed.
A common misreading
An employee signing a consent form for overtime does NOT make hours above the ceiling lawful. The ceiling is a health protection, not a term the two sides can contract around.