This is from FindLaw, one of the best legal informational sources for those of us here in the states: : I put in more than forty hours on the job each week, without overtime pay. Am I entitled to time off to compensate for this? Most workers are familiar with compensatory or comp time -- the practice of offering employees time off from work in place of cash payments for overtime. What comes as a shock to many is that the practice is illegal in most situations. Under the FLSA, only state or government agencies may legally allow their employees time off in place of wages (29 U.S.C. §207(o)). Even then, comp time may be awarded only: according to the terms of an agreement arranged by union representatives, or if the employer and employee agree to the arrangement before work begins. When compensatory time is allowed, it must be awarded at the rate of one and one-half times the overtime hours worked -- and comp time must be taken during the same pay period that the overtime hours were worked. Some states do allow private employers to give employees comp time instead of cash. But there are complex, often conflicting laws controlling how and when it may be given. A common control, for example, is that employees must voluntarily request in writing that comp time be given instead of overtime pay -- before the extra hours are worked. Check with your state's labor department for special laws on comp time in your area. Many employers and employees routinely violate the rules governing the use of compensatory time in place of cash overtime wages. However, such violations are risky. Employees can find themselves unable to collect money due to them if a company goes out of business or they are fired. And employers can end up owing large amounts of overtime pay to employees as the result of a labor department prosecution of compensatory time violations http://tinyurl.com/4hm4s Indigo Nights [log in to unmask] ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).