Employees switch shifts: Does that potentially increase our overtime liability?

Q. Are employers required to pay for overtime hours that result when an employee voluntarily switches shifts with a co-worker?

A. Yes. If a nonexempt employee works over 40 hours in a week, you are required to pay overtime even if the overtime was worked on a different shift than he or she normally works.

You could adopt a policy that prohibits employees from switching shifts without management approval if working the other shift will result in overtime.