time and a half

American  

noun

1. a rate of pay for overtime work equal to one and one half times the regular hourly wage.

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time and a half British  

noun

1. the rate of pay equalling one and a half times the normal rate, often offered for overtime work

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time and a half Idioms  

1. A rate of pay for overtime work that is one and one-half times higher than the regular hourly wage, as in I don't mind working Sunday so long as I get time and a half. This expression uses time in the sense of “the number of hours worked.” [c. 1885]

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Etymology

Origin of time and a half

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time and a half

If a person is paid time and a half, it’s the “half” part that is tax-deductible, according to the IRS.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 4, 2026

If she agrees to work back-to-back shifts, she earns time and a half for the second shift.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2024

Starbucks is keeping its cafes and distribution centers open on Juneteenth, but hourly workers will get time and a half for working that day, the Seattle-based company said in a statement.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 18, 2021

Workers hoping to form a union recently circulated a petition calling for Trader Joe’s to offer “hazard pay,” or an hourly rate of time and a half.

From New York Times ● Apr. 2, 2020

Now thoroughly unnerved, I tell him I’m not working an eleven-hour shift, not without time and a half after eight.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich