The short answer
The overtime and Sunday pay rules in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA) set fixed multipliers on top of your normal wage: 1.5 times for overtime, and either double pay or 1.5 times for Sunday work depending on whether Sunday work is occasional or part of your normal roster. These rules only apply automatically if you earn below the threshold set by the Minister of Employment and Labour. Above that threshold, your contract decides.
What counts as overtime
Ordinary hours of work under the BCEA are capped at 45 hours a week. Any time worked beyond your normal daily or weekly hours is overtime, and it must be paid at 1.5 times your normal hourly wage, unless your employer agrees to give you paid time off instead.
There are limits on how much overtime you can be asked to work. A municipal overtime policy citing the Act confirms the standard caps: no employee may be required or permitted to work more than three hours overtime a day, or more than ten hours overtime a week, though a collective agreement may increase the maximum permitted overtime to fifteen hours a week for up to two months a year.
An employer cannot force overtime on you. It has to be by agreement, and that agreement can be cancelled with a month’s notice.
Sunday pay: two different rates
The rate you get for working a Sunday depends on whether Sunday work is normal for your job or a one-off.
An employee who occasionally works on a Sunday must receive double pay. An employee who ordinarily works on a Sunday must be paid at 1.5 times the normal wage. Paid time off in return for working on a Sunday may be agreed upon instead.
So a shop assistant who is rostered to work every second Sunday as part of their normal schedule gets 1.5 times pay for that Sunday. A factory worker called in on an emergency Sunday shift they don’t normally work gets double pay for the whole shift.
Public holidays
Public holiday pay follows a similar logic to occasional Sunday work. You can only be asked to work on a public holiday if you agree to it, and if you do work, you are entitled to paid time off in respect of public holidays, and if required to work on such a public holiday, you should receive double pay.
Night work
If your normal hours fall between 18:00 and 06:00, you’re covered by separate night work rules, not overtime rules, unless the night hours themselves push you past your ordinary shift length. Employees who work at night between 18:00 and 06:00 must be compensated by payment of an allowance or by a reduction of working hours, and employees who work regularly after 23:00 and before 06:00 the next day must be informed of any health and safety hazards and the right to undergo a medical examination.
The rates at a glance
| Type of work | Rate |
|---|---|
| Overtime (beyond normal hours) | 1.5 times normal wage, or paid time off by agreement |
| Sunday work (occasional) | Double pay |
| Sunday work (ordinarily rostered) | 1.5 times normal wage |
| Public holiday worked | Double pay |
| Night work (18:00–06:00) | Allowance or reduced hours, by agreement |
Who is excluded
This is the part most workers don’t know about. The BCEA lets the Minister exclude higher earners from these protections entirely. The determination excludes all employees earning in excess of R261 748,45 per annum from the sections covering ordinary hours, overtime, meal intervals, rest periods, Sunday pay and public holiday pay.
That threshold is not fixed forever. It gets revised periodically by government notice, and a new determination was gazetted on 17 April 2026. Because the exact updated rand figure was not confirmed on the version of the notice checked for this article, don’t rely on the amount above as current. Check the Department of Employment and Labour’s website for the earnings threshold notice in force right now before you work out where you fall.
If you earn above the current threshold, the BCEA doesn’t force your employer to pay you overtime or Sunday rates. Whatever your contract says about extra hours is what applies. Read your contract or company policy carefully if you’re a manager, supervisor or higher earner, because many employers still pay these rates voluntarily even though the law doesn’t require it above the threshold.
What to do if you’re not being paid correctly
If you earn below the threshold and your employer isn’t paying the correct overtime or Sunday rate, start by raising it in writing with your employer or HR department. If that doesn’t resolve it, you can lodge a complaint with your nearest Department of Employment and Labour office, or refer a dispute to the CCMA. Keep your clock-in records, rosters and payslips. They’re the evidence that decides these cases.
Where to check
For the current earnings threshold, overtime caps and Sunday pay rules, go to the Department of Employment and Labour’s website or your nearest labour centre. For disputes about non-payment, the CCMA handles referrals once internal steps have failed.
verify: current BCEA earnings threshold amount effective from the 17 April 2026 determination – confirm at labour.gov.za, Basic Conditions of Employment Act earnings threshold notice
