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Overtime Metrics

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Overtime Hours

Definition: The total hours worked beyond the standard scheduled shift in a period, compensated at a premium rate. Source field: overtime_hours Notes:
  • Definition of overtime varies by collective agreement — typically hours beyond 7.5 or 8 per shift, or beyond 37.5/40 per week
  • Include all overtime regardless of whether it was pre-approved or unplanned
  • Exclude agency hours from overtime — track these separately in agency_hours
Displayed in: Overview, Cost Analytics, Metrics Explorer, Pulse Intelligence

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Overtime Rate

Definition: Overtime hours as a percentage of total worked hours. Formula: 
OT Rate = (overtime_hours ÷ worked_hours) × 100
Benchmarks:
  • Below 5%: Low — typical operational range
  • 5–10%: Moderate — monitor for sustainability
  • 10–15%: Elevated — associated with increased burnout risk
  • Above 15%: Critical — direct patient safety and retention implications
Interpretation: OT Rate tells you what proportion of clinical work is being delivered at a premium cost. A sustained OT Rate above 10% typically indicates a structural staffing gap — not a scheduling issue. Displayed in: Overview, Pulse Intelligence, Workforce Stress Indicators, Metrics Explorer

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OT Hours per FTE

Definition: The average number of overtime hours worked per filled FTE in a period. Formula: 
OT Hours per FTE = overtime_hours ÷ fte
Notes: Useful for identifying units where overtime is concentrated among a small number of staff — a warning sign for individual burnout risk even when the unit-level OT Rate looks moderate. Displayed in: Metrics Explorer (calculated on demand)

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OT Cost

Definition: The estimated cost of overtime hours at the applicable premium rate. Formula: 
OT Cost = overtime_hours × (hourly_rate × overtime_premium)
Default overtime premium: 1.5× base rate. This can be adjusted in Cost Analytics settings if your collective agreements use a different rate. Displayed in: Cost Analytics — Labor Cost tab

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Premium labor and agency combined

Senzo tracks overtime and agency spend as distinct categories but surfaces them together as Premium Labor in Cost Analytics — the total cost of workforce coverage above base rates. 
Premium Labor Spend = OT Cost + Agency Cost
Premium Labor % = (Premium Labor Spend ÷ Total Labor Cost) × 100
The insight line in Labor Cost Analytics shows the FTE equivalent of combined premium spend: 
Premium FTE Equivalent = Premium Labor Spend ÷ Cost per FTE
This answers: “how many FTE could we fund with the money we’re spending on premium labor?”

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Why overtime clusters

OT rarely distributes evenly. It clusters in units experiencing:
  1. Vacancy pressure — open positions covered by overtime of remaining staff
  2. Absence spikes — unplanned absences backfilled by overtime
  3. Census surges — patient volume exceeding base staffing plan
  4. Scheduling constraints — collective agreement rules limiting float pool access
Understanding the driver determines the response. Senzo’s Pulse Intelligence analyzes OT alongside vacancy and absence data to identify the likely cause.