Shift Pay Calculator: Am I Being Paid Right?
Shift pay is easy to get wrong: 60% of UK frontline shift workers believe they're missing pay they've earned, and nearly half say changing shift patterns make it hard to know. Type your hours and your rates, and see what you should have been paid before tax, and whether your payslip matches.
What the rules say
- UK: no law requires extra pay for nights, weekends or overtime: your contract decides. But your average pay must be at least the National Living Wage, £12.71 an hour if you're 21 or over, from April 2026.
- US: federal law requires time and a half after 40 hours in a week for most hourly workers; some states add daily overtime.
- Canada: overtime starts after 44 hours a week in Ontario and Alberta, and 40 in British Columbia and Quebec.
- Australia: your award or agreement sets penalty rates. Saturdays are commonly 125–150%, Sundays 150–200% and public holidays up to 250%.
Uses your own rates from your contract, award or agreement. Overtime is worked out as a premium on hours over your weekly threshold, at your base rate; some contracts and awards stack rates differently. Not legal advice.
Questions
How do I check my shift pay?
Add up your hours by type (ordinary, nights, weekends, public holidays), multiply each by your rate, add any overtime premium, and compare with your payslip's gross pay.
Do I get paid extra for night shifts in the UK?
Only if your contract says so: there's no legal night premium, but your average pay must meet the National Living Wage.
What should I do if my pay looks wrong?
Ask payroll to check it, with your hours and the rates you expected. In Australia you can also check with the Fair Work Ombudsman; in the UK, Acas can advise.