# How do I track overtime and avoid unexpected labor costs?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">How do I track overtime and avoid unexpected labor costs?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: about 2 months ago
- Author title: Account Manager
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

Overtime surprises happen when you build the schedule without visibility into cumulative hours. A few ways to stay ahead of it:

Review hours and labor cost projections before publishing. When I Work shows a running total of scheduled hours and estimated labor costs as you build the schedule. If a scheduled shift would push an employee into overtime or labor costs are higher than expected, you can make adjustments before the schedule is published.

Set employee hour thresholds. When I Work lets you set maximum weekly hours per employee and alerts you if a scheduled shift would push them over. This helps prevent overtime while also managing part-time schedules, youth labor restrictions, and other employee-specific hour limits.

Get real-time alerts during the week. Overtime doesn&#39;t only come from over-scheduling — early clock-ins, late clock-outs, and unplanned coverage shifts add up. When I Work sends real-time alerts if an employee is approaching overtime during their actual shift, not just on the planned schedule.


##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: about 2 months ago




## Related Product
[When I Work](https://www.g2.com/products/when-i-work/reviews)

## Related Category
[Workforce Management](https://www.g2.com/categories/workforce-management)

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