Figure out the difference in the amount of overtime you'd get if you sign or don't sign an averaging agreement .
You can use the Ministry of Labour's Averaging & Time Off in Lieu Calculator to see how much overtime you'd get over 2, 3, or 4 weeks if you have an averaging agreement.
In most jobs, the hours you work over 44 hours a week are overtime hours. The examples below show the difference in how much overtime you get with or without an averaging agreement if:
| week | hours worked | overtime hours over 44 |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | 35 | 0 |
| Week 2 | 50 | 6 |
| Week 3 | 60 | 16 |
| Week 4 | 35 | 0 |
| Total | 180 | 22 |
Without an averaging agreement, you'd have 22 hours of overtime.
To find out your average overtime hours in the 4 weeks, take the total number of hours you worked in the 4 weeks and divide by 4.
Then subtract the 44 hours you must work in a week to qualify for overtime. This gives you the “average” number of overtime hours per week.
Then multiply this by 4 to get the averaged number of overtime hours.
| week | hours worked |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | 35 |
| Week 2 | 50 |
| Week 3 | 60 |
| Week 4 | 35 |
| Total | 180 |
| averaged overtime hours | |
| 180 hours ÷ 4 weeks = 45 hours | |
| 45 hours – 44 hours = 1 hour | |
| 1 hour x 4 weeks = 4 hours | |
With an averaging agreement, you'd have 4 hours of overtime.