> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.senzohq.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Overtime Metrics

> OT hours, OT rate, and premium labor definitions

# Overtime Metrics

## 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

***

## 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

***

## 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)

***

## 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

***

## 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?"

***

## 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.