Most companies require employees to submit an overtime request form for approval prior to logging overtime hours. Here, you’ll find the top free, downloadable overtime approval templates and some tips on submitting requests.
Submit this standard overtime request form for approval prior to completing overtime work. The template includes sections for basic employee information, the hourly rate, the details of the overtime work you need to complete, and signature lines for the direct supervisor, department head, and director of personnel. The form doubles as a pre-approval form, as it includes instructions for submitting a request before logging any overtime hours; but, you can also edit it to fit your company’s policies.
Download Overtime Request Approval Form
This is a simple template that employees can use to get authorization for overtime hours. The authorization form, also called a slip form, includes space for basic employee information, the number of overtime hours worked, as well as the details of and justification for the overtime. This template will suffice for any quick, last-minute overtime work that you need to complete.
Download Overtime Authorization Form
Use this form to request compensation for overtime work or additional work hours (for instance, those accrued via company travel). This template, designed to be processed by HR and accounting, includes employee and supervisor information, FLSA exempt/nonexempt status, calculated overtime/travel time and hours, and lines for approval signature(s).
Download Compensatory Time Request Form
This overtime request approval form is specifically for work one completes at a university. The template includes all the typical overtime request information, as well as university-specific job codes and space for department and chair approval. You can use this form to request overtime compensation for an individual employee or for an entire department.
Download University Overtime Request Form
Use this template to request approval for government or military overtime or holiday work. Include all basic employee information, the number of overtime or holiday hours worked, justification for the additional hours, and whether the employee elected to do the work or the administration required it. Note that government and military overtime request policies may change or be specific to a department, so double-check that this form will suffice for your line of work.
Download Government/Military Overtime Request Form
This template is for support personnel and includes instructions for how your organization will calculate overtime pay and when and how to submit the form to ensure compensation. Include basic employee details, dates and times of overtime work, a brief explanation of the work one completes, and supervisor approval. If you’re using this as a standard company form, be sure to revise it regularly to stay up to date with policies.
Download Overtime Request Form for Support Personnel
Use this template to easily track overtime hours. The form can also double as an overtime request form — although double-check with your employer as to whether overtime hours require approval in advance. The template also serves as an accurate log of all the overtime hours an employee works and all the pay they earn. This document includes instructions at the bottom of the form, and you can edit them to reflect your company’s policies.
Download Overtime Tracking Form
This is a three-part overtime request form that you can use to formally approve and settle all overtime work and pay. The first section requires the employee to provide basic information and the proposed number of voluntary overtime hours; the second section asks for supervisor and HR approval; and the third provides a simple hours tracking chart for the employee to log actual overtime hours. To officially settle the agreement, submit the entire form to payroll as an overtime claim form.
Download Overtime Request Settlement Form
Sometimes, a manager or department head will anticipate a larger-than-average workload and need employees to volunteer to work overtime. Use this template as a sign-up sheet for upcoming overtime work — the manager will simply input the project, task(s), and anticipated number of hours, and employees can sign up to complete the extra work that you need.
Download Overtime Sign-Up Sheet
This is a simple Excel template that you can use to calculate total pay for a combination of regular and overtime hours. Simply add regular hourly and overtime pay, and then input how many hours you worked at each rate — the totals will automatically calculate. Additionally, you can use this template to log hours over a period of time; that way, you and your manager can use the document as an analysis tool to plan for future workloads.
In this section, you’ll find several workplace administration templates that may also be of use.
If you need to take an extended period of time off — for anything from maternity or other medical leave to jury duty — you may need to formally request those days off as well as the attendant compensation. Use this template to request leave: Simply input your employee information, your dates and hours of leave, and the reason(s) you are taking leave, and get a supervisor signature. The form also includes a key for leave codes that you can edit to suit your company’s policies.
Download Employee Leave Request Form
Use this weekly calendar to plan for upcoming holidays and vacations and track time off (whether PTO, sick days, or additional vacation hours). Keeping a weekly calendar can help you provide accurate logs of the hours you’ve worked and the time you’ve taken off, and can serve as a jumping-off point in case you need to request vacation time.
This simple calendar in a landscape format template provides a monthly view with plenty of space for notes under each date. Fill in planned vacation, important dates, and other personal commitments, and use the form as a visual tool to plan for upcoming time off. It also allows you to look ahead, so you can make sure that you submit vacation/time-off requests in plenty of time for approval.
Download Monthly Vacation Tracking Calendar (2024)
Use this yearly calendar template to get an at-a-glance view of your plans, including work trips, PTO, additional vacations, and long-term personal projects. The form also includes a blank column for notes or a to-do list, and you can easily print the calendar for easy, everyday use.
This expenses template makes it easy for employees to request reimbursement for business costs. Simply input the costs, amounts, and dates of each transaction, and submit the form to your manager or accounting department for approval and compensation. This is a simple Excel spreadsheet that you can easily edit to fit your needs.
This is a basic invoice template that includes columns to list the goods and services you’ve provided, as well as the costs you’ve incurred. Once you’ve logged the hours you’ve worked and the requisite compensation, submit the invoice to your customer for processing, and file it to keep track of transactions, billing, and payments. For more specialized invoice templates, visit this article with over 50 free, downloadable forms.
A grievance form is documentation of a perceived injustice or infraction in the workplace and provides an employee (the grievant) with a way to initiate an investigation and a subsequent resolution of any issues. This standard employee grievance form provides sections for the grievant’s contact information, the date and time of the incident, the involved parties, and the details about the issue at hand. You can customize the template to reflect any company-specific procedures, or you can simply edit the document to fit the needs of the situation.
Download Employee Grievance Form
If you want your employer to automatically deduct a certain amount of money from your regular paycheck, use this form to make the request. There are several reasons you may want to withhold a portion of your paycheck (e.g, you may want to put something toward taxes, savings, or loans), and this form allows you to designate the account toward which you want to allocate the deduction. Simply input the basic information and have the necessary parties sign off.
Download Payroll Deduction Authorization Form
Federal provisions define overtime work as any additional work over 40 hours that an employee completes in a single, standard workweek. An overtime request is a document that an employee writes in order to request approval for working overtime hours and receive overtime pay for those additional hours. Typically, the employee submits the document to their manager, who then approves or rejects the request.
Although the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requires employers to properly compensate workers for overtime work, it is essential that you get approval for the hours before working overtime. Employers reserve the right to deny overtime requests, so submit your request early to ensure you don’t end up going unpaid for extra hours.
There are several reasons that an employee might need to work overtime. Common reasons include a personal work backlog, an additional workload that the company has assigned, or understaffing on a particular project or in a particular department.
The specific information you include on your overtime request form may vary, depending on your organization’s regulations, your position, and the nature of your company (for instance, government versus privately owned). However, most overtime request forms will include the following general information:
Submitting an overtime request is usually a simple process, but there are some things you should keep in mind when doing so:
In addition, here are five easy tips that will facilitate the processes of submitting an overtime request, coordinating with your boss, and getting your overtime work approved:
Although working overtime can be a hassle, there are ways to get more than just additional compensation out of it. In fact, you can use your overtime work to your career’s advantage: Cite your overtime work to prove dedication to your company, department, or project, and use it as leverage down the road if you want more responsibility or are pursuing a promotion. That being said, you shouldn’t pursue overtime work primarily as a tool to get ahead. Take care of yourself and deliver efficient, consistent work, rather than relying on extra hours to get noticed (especially since too much overtime can result in burnout).
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