Question 1

How is overtime calculated in a contact centre?

Accepted Answer

Standard overtime: hours beyond 40/week at 1.5x base rate. Double-time applies after 12 hours/day in some jurisdictions. WFM teams must model OT cost against the cost of hiring additional FTE — the breakeven is typically at 15-20% sustained OT rate.

Question 2

When should I use overtime vs hiring?

Accepted Answer

OT is cost-effective for short-term volume spikes (< 8 weeks) or covering attrition gaps during hiring. When OT exceeds 15% of total labour hours consistently for more than 2 months, hiring is almost always cheaper — even factoring in training ramp.

Question 3

How does overtime affect contact per cost?

Accepted Answer

OT increases cost per contact by the overtime premium multiplied by the proportion of contacts handled during OT hours. A 50% OT premium on 20% of hours increases blended cost per contact by approximately 10%.

Overtime Cost Calculator

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Tools