I worked 13 hours in one day but only 30 hours that week. Do I get overtime?
Yes. California counts overtime by the day as well as by the week. On a 13-hour day you earn 8 hours at your normal rate, 4 hours at 1.5×, and 1 hour at 2× — even though the week never reached 40 hours. The weekly total does not cancel the daily rule.
Most states only look at the week, so a 30-hour week sounds like there is nothing to pay. California adds a second, independent test at the day level: anything past 8 hours in a workday is time-and-a-half, and anything past 12 is double time.
The two tests do not replace each other — you apply both and pay whichever produces more, without paying twice for the same hour. On your day that comes to 8 straight, 4 at 1.5×, and the thirteenth hour at 2×.
A workday is a fixed 24-hour period your employer designates. It does not have to start at midnight, but it cannot be moved around from week to week to keep hours under the line.
If your pay stub shows 13 hours all at the same rate, that is worth raising. It is one of the most common payroll mistakes in California, and it is usually a settings problem rather than anything deliberate.
Last reviewed 2026-08-09. Informational only — not legal advice. California rules change; confirm against the current source before acting.