Overtime: who gets it and at what rate
Overtime is any time you work over 37.5 hours in a week. Bands 1 to 7 are paid it at a single rate of time and a half, except on a general public holiday, which is double time. Staff on Bands 8a to 9 aren't entitled to overtime payments.
Overtime is based on your hourly rate from basic pay plus any long-term recruitment and retention premium. London weighting isn't included. For a Band 5 at the bottom of the band in England, the hourly rate is £16.40, so time and a half is £24.60.
Part-time? Extra hours start at plain time
If you're part time, extra hours are paid at your normal rate until you've worked more than 37.5 hours that week; only the hours beyond that are overtime.
Time off instead of pay
You can ask for time off in lieu instead of overtime pay, at plain time (an hour off for each extra hour worked), if your manager agreed the extra work as overtime. If you can't take the time off within three months for operational reasons, it has to be paid at the overtime rate.
Unsocial hours: every band
Unsocial hours payments are a percentage on top of your hourly rate for work at the times below, and they apply to every band:
| Band | Saturdays and weekday nights (8pm to 6am) | Sundays and public holidays |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | +41% (Scotland +44%) | +83% (Scotland +88%) |
| 3 | +35% (Scotland +37%) | +69% (Scotland +74%) |
| 4 to 9 | +30% | +60% |
Three rules worth knowing:
- Night shifts count in full. If more than half of a weekday night shift falls between 8pm and 6am, the night rate applies to the whole shift, not just the hours after 8pm.
- One rate per hour. You get one unsocial hours rate for each hour, not two stacked together.
- Not on top of on-call. Unsocial hours and on-call payments can't both be paid for the same hours.
Unsocial hours are paid on basic pay (plus any long-term recruitment and retention premium), not London weighting. They count towards your NHS pension and maternity pay, but in England they're not part of sick pay. And if you work a public holiday, you also get the time back: equivalent time off in lieu at plain time.