Overtime pay · Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories overtime pay.
When overtime starts in Northwest Territories, what it is worth, and what a week of long shifts actually pays.
The Northwest Territories pays overtime at 1½ times the regular rate for work beyond 8 hours in a day or 40 in a week.
In a week containing a statutory holiday the weekly standard drops to 32 hours. Maximum hours are 10 a day and 60 a week except for emergency work.
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Northwest Territories overtime rules
- Weekly threshold: overtime starts after 40 hours in a week.
- Daily threshold: overtime also starts after 8 hours in a day.
- Overtime rate: 1.5× the regular rate.
Standard hours are 8 in a day and 40 in a week under section 7, and section 9(1) requires at least 1½ times the regular rate for work exceeding standard hours in a day or a week. In a week containing a statutory holiday you are entitled to, section 9(5) deems standard hours to be 8 for the day and 32 for the week, and excludes the standard hours worked on the holiday itself from the overtime calculation. Maximum hours are 10 in a day and 60 in a week, exceeded only for emergency work. The Act does not spell out how the daily and weekly tests interact; this calculator applies the standard no-double-counting approach, in which hours already paid as daily overtime are removed before the weekly test.
Who is exempt
The territory does not publish a definitive list of exemptions from the hours-of-work provisions themselves. Where wages are not computed solely on time, section 9(3) deems the regular rate for overtime to be the applicable minimum wage; on a combined basis, section 9(4) takes the greater of the hourly time component and that deemed wage.
Source, last verified 2 September 2026: NWT Education, Culture and Employment — Employment standards FAQ.
Frequently asked questions
When does overtime start in the Northwest Territories?
After 8 hours in a day or 40 hours in a week, at 1½ times the regular rate. Section 9(1) requires the premium for work exceeding standard hours in a day or a week.
The maximum is 10 hours in a day and 60 in a week, which may be exceeded only for emergency work.
Does a statutory holiday change my NWT overtime threshold?
Yes. Section 9(5) deems standard hours in a week containing a statutory holiday you are entitled to be 8 for the day and 32 for the week.
The standard hours worked on the holiday itself are excluded from the overtime calculation, so the holiday does not count against the 32.
How do the daily and weekly NWT overtime tests interact?
The Act does not say. Section 9(1) requires the premium for work exceeding standard hours in a day or a week, but unlike the federal guidance it contains no explicit greater-of or anti-double-counting instruction.
This calculator applies the standard approach used across Canada: hours already paid as daily overtime are removed before the weekly test, so no hour is counted twice. For a binding answer on an unusual schedule, contact the Employment Standards Office.
What are the maximum hours in the NWT?
10 hours in a day and 60 in a week, under section 8. An employer may not require or allow an employee to exceed them.
The exception in section 8(4) covers emergency work: an accident to machinery, equipment, plant or a person, urgent and essential work, or other unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances — and only so far as necessary to prevent serious interference with ordinary working.
Estimate only — not legal advice
This calculator produces an estimate from the published employment-standards minimums. It is not legal advice and it is not a determination of what you are owed. Overtime rules in Northwest Territories are set by Northwest Territories Employment Standards, and a long list of occupations is exempt or subject to a different threshold.
Collective agreements, employment contracts, exemptions for your occupation, averaging agreements and permits can all change the answer. For a binding answer, contact the employment-standards office named above or a lawyer.