Colorado · Overtime · Updated April 2026

Catch weekly overtime exposure before the 40-hour line is crossed.

Some weekly OT is intentional. Some is the result of last-minute schedule changes nobody noticed in time. The drift warning surfaces shifts that would push a worker toward weekly OT — typically at 36 hours scheduled — so managers can redistribute or accept the cost knowingly.

Trigger
36 hrs scheduled
Action
Manager warning
Override
Manager can proceed
Active

Weekly OT Drift Warning

Flags when a scheduled assignment trends a worker toward weekly OT before the 40-hour line is crossed. Manager can override.

Warn at 36-hour scheduled threshold
Always running

What the rule does as a worker's scheduled hours approach 40.

The hero card configuration: Avoid at 36 hours scheduled. Here's what that does at runtime.

Avoid · at 36 hours scheduled

When a manager creates a shift that would push a worker's scheduled weekly hours past 36, a yellow indicator surfaces. "This addition trends toward weekly OT." The schedule saves; the exposure is logged for review.

Skip the configuration

Deploy OT drift warnings in your Teambridge.

Tell us about your workforce. We'll spin up the drift warnings — alongside the other 17 Colorado policies — in a sandbox tenant.

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The rule, plainly stated

Drift warnings are an operational tool, not a legal requirement.

The 36-hour threshold isn't in any statute. It's a Teambridge default that surfaces OT exposure 4 hours before the line, giving managers time to react. The legal rule is the 40-hour weekly threshold itself.

Configurable threshold; defaults at 36 hrs: The 36-hour threshold is the Teambridge default for weekly OT drift warnings. Operators can adjust higher (more permissive) or lower (more conservative) per their compliance preferences. The underlying legal rule is the 40-hour weekly OT requirement under FLSA and COMPS Order #40.

Why 36 specifically

36 hours leaves 4 hours of buffer before OT triggers. For most frontline workforces, 4 hours is enough time for a manager to redistribute or accept the OT knowingly. Lower thresholds (e.g., 32) generate too many warnings; higher (38) cuts too close.

Manager-side warning, not worker-side

The drift warning fires for the manager building the schedule, not the worker. Workers don't see it. The point is to keep the operator informed of OT exposure they may not have noticed.

On autopilot

Teambridge surfaces OT exposure before it becomes a payroll surprise.

The drift warning catches OT exposure at the moment a manager can do something about it — schedule editing, shift assignment, swap approval — instead of at payroll close when it's too late.

01 · Schedule build

Hour-running total visible.

When a manager builds a shift, the worker's running weekly total is visible inline. If adding the shift pushes past 36, the indicator surfaces.

02 · Swap approval

Drift check on swap-in.

When approving a swap, Teambridge runs the drift check on the receiving worker. If the swap would push them past 36, the approval surfaces the OT exposure.

03 · Multi-location aggregation

Drift checks all of an employer's locations.

If a worker is shared across multiple of your locations, the drift threshold applies to combined hours, not per-location. Cross-location exposure is the most common OT surprise.

04 · Configurable per workforce

Default 36, adjustable.

Some operators run leaner and want the drift warning at 32. Some run with intentional OT and don't want the warning until 38 or even 40. The threshold is configurable; the underlying 40-hour OT calculation is not.

Free · No commitment

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FAQ

People also ask.

Why does the drift warning fire at 36 hours?
36 hours leaves a 4-hour buffer before weekly OT triggers at 40. For most frontline workforces, that's enough time for a manager to redistribute or knowingly accept the OT. Some operators set the threshold higher or lower based on their preferences.
Is the drift warning required by law?
No. The 36-hour threshold is an operational tool, not a legal requirement. The legal rule is the 40-hour weekly OT trigger itself.
Can the threshold be adjusted?
Yes. Operators can configure the drift warning at any threshold from 30 to 40 hours. Lower = more warnings, more conservative. Higher = fewer warnings, leaner.
Does the warning fire for daily OT exposure?
No. The drift warning targets weekly OT only. Daily OT has separate warnings configured in the Daily Overtime policy (Avoid at 11, Critical at 12).
What happens when I get the warning?
You can proceed (the warning is Avoid severity, not Block), redistribute the hours to another worker, or break the shift up so neither worker exceeds the threshold. The decision is yours; the system is just informing it.
How does Teambridge handle multi-location workers?
Hours follow the worker, not the location. If a worker has shifts at multiple of your locations, the drift threshold applies to the combined total. Cross-location OT exposure is the most common drift surprise.