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California Overtime Calculator

Computes the maximum overtime pay a California employee is owed from their hourly rate and daily hours, applying whichever combination of rules yields the greatest pay.

Problem

California overtime is deceptively layered: daily overtime, daily double-time, weekly overtime, and special rules for a seventh consecutive workday can all apply at once. People owed money rarely calculate it correctly by hand.

Solution

A calculator that evaluates every category — daily OT (8h+ at 1.5×), daily double-time (12h+ at 2×), weekly OT (40h+ at 1.5×), and seventh-consecutive-day rules — then applies whichever combination yields the greatest pay, as state law requires.

Approach

  • Front-end logic in vanilla JavaScript for instant, no-reload results.
  • PHP back end for shared rule definitions and server-side validation.
  • Hand-written HTML/CSS tuned for search and accessibility.

Result

Ranks #2 on Google for “California overtime calculator.”

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