Overtime and Break Laws in Alberta (2026)
Employment Standards Code (RSA 2000, c E-9) and Employment Standards Regulation · Reviewed 2026-10 · Private-sector employees
Overtime
1.5x for hours over 8 in a day or 44 in a week, whichever is greater (the 8/44 rule).
Breaks and lunch
A 30-minute break on shifts over 5 hours, and two 30-minute breaks on shifts of 10 hours or more. Paid or unpaid is the employer's choice.
Overtime in Alberta
- 1.5x pay for hours past 8 in a day.
- 1.5x pay for hours past 44 in a week.
- Daily and weekly overtime are not added together; the greater total is paid.
- A written overtime agreement can give banked time off at least 1 hour per overtime hour, used within 6 months; unused bank at termination is paid at 1.5x.
- Excluded: managers, supervisors and confidential employees, listed professionals, licensed real estate, securities and insurance salespeople, waged non-family farm workers, domestic employees and others.
- Some industries have their own thresholds, e.g. trucking 10 a day / 50 a week, taxi and ambulance 10 / 60, oilwell servicing and similar 10 a day / 191 a month.
- Collective agreements can set overtime after fewer hours.
Averaging over a pay period: Allowed with a written averaging arrangement of 1 to 52 weeks and 2 weeks' notice; overtime is the greater of daily overtime or hours over an average of 44 a week.
What two weeks of work come to
Worked out by the rule above (1.5x after 44h in a week, 1.5x after 8h in a day). Hours.
| Two weeks of | Regular | Overtime (1.5x) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days of 8 hours, two weeks (80h) | 80 | 0 |
| 5 days of 10 hours, two weeks (100h) | 80 | 20 |
| 6 days of 9 hours, two weeks (108h) | 88 | 20 |
| 50 hours, then 30 hours (80h) | 70 | 10 |
Breaks and lunch in Alberta
- Meal break: 1 × 30 minutes, unpaid, for shifts of more than 5 hours.
- Meal break: 2 × 30 minutes, unpaid, for shifts of 10 hours or more.
| Shift | Rest breaks | Meal break |
|---|---|---|
| 4 hours | None | None |
| 6 hours | None | 1 × 30 min, unpaid |
| 8 hours | None | 1 × 30 min, unpaid |
| 10 hours | None | 2 × 30 min, unpaid |
| 12 hours | None | 2 × 30 min, unpaid |
- Shifts of 5 hours or less get no break.
- A break can be split into two periods of at least 15 minutes by agreement.
- The break must be paid if the employer restricts the employee, e.g. not allowed to leave the premises.
- Maximum 12 hours of work a day, at least 8 hours of rest between shifts, and at least 1 day of rest each week (or combined, e.g. 2 days per 2 weeks).
Pay by Alberta rules in Kloqk
Kloqk is a free time clock. In Settings, open Payroll, press Rules by country and pick Alberta: the overtime and break rules above fill in, and every timesheet, report and payroll export follows them. Change any number to match your own contract.
Start freeOfficial sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the overtime rule in Alberta?
1.5x for hours over 8 in a day or 44 in a week, whichever is greater (the 8/44 rule).
Can overtime be averaged over two weeks or a pay period in Alberta?
Allowed with a written averaging arrangement of 1 to 52 weeks and 2 weeks' notice; overtime is the greater of daily overtime or hours over an average of 44 a week.
What breaks are required in Alberta?
A 30-minute break on shifts over 5 hours, and two 30-minute breaks on shifts of 10 hours or more. Paid or unpaid is the employer's choice.