Is overtime for trade show crews paid by the day or by the week?

Federal law only requires overtime after 40 hours in a workweek. Some states, such as California, add daily overtime, and many labor agreements pay overtime after 8 hours in a day. Apply whichever rule pays the crew member more.

When is double time owed?

Federal law has no double time. California requires it after 12 hours in a day and after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Labor agreements often add double time for work outside a set daytime window, on Sundays and on holidays.

What is a minimum call?

A rule in many labor agreements that a crew member called in is paid for at least a set number of hours, often 4, even if the work takes less. One hour of work on a 4-hour minimum is paid as 4 hours.

Does myCrewIQ decide the overtime split?

No. myCrewIQ checks the hours the foreman wrote against the rules in your agreement once you have confirmed them, and raises any difference as a question citing the clause. A person decides; it never changes a written figure by itself.

Overtime and Double Time for Trade Show Crews

By Cody Burandt · Founder, 14+ years on the show floor · October 2026

The short answerThree layers stack: federal law (overtime after 40 hours a week), your state (California adds daily overtime after 8 hours and double time after 12), and your labor agreement (often daily overtime, double-time windows, minimum calls, Sundays and holidays). For each hour, pay the rule that gives the crew member the most.

Show crews work long, uneven days: a 6:00 AM move-in, a dismantle that runs past midnight, a Sunday booth build. That is exactly where overtime gets miscounted. This guide lays out the layers in plain English, with two worked examples. It is general information, not legal advice: your agreement and your state's rules decide.

Layer 1: federal law

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime at 1.5 times the regular rate for hours over 40 in a workweek. It has no daily overtime and no double time. For most crew members, federal law is the floor, and the next two layers go further.

Layer 2: your state

A few states add daily rules. California is the big one for trade shows and live events:

Overtime (1.5×): over 8 hours in a day, over 40 in a workweek, and the first 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day worked in a workweek.
Double time (2×): over 12 hours in a day, and over 8 hours on that seventh consecutive day.

Some other states, such as Alaska and Colorado, also have daily overtime rules with their own thresholds. Check the state where the work happens, not where your office is.

Layer 3: your labor agreement

Collective bargaining agreements for show labor commonly go further than the law. Rules you will often see:

Daily overtime after 8 hours, sometimes after 10 on a four-day schedule.
A double-time window: any hour outside a set daytime window (for example 8:00 to 4:30) is paid double.
Sundays and holidays paid double time all day.
Minimum calls: a crew member called in is paid for at least a set number of hours, often 4.
Meal penalties when a lunch break is late or missed.

When a rule in the agreement pays more than the law for the same hour, the agreement's rate applies.

Worked example 1: a long day under California law

A 13-hour day at a $40.00 rate, no agreement:

Hours 1–8 straight time 8 × $40.00 = $320.00 Hours 9–12 overtime 1.5× 4 × $60.00 = $240.00 Hour 13 double time 2× 1 × $80.00 = $80.00 Total 13 hours $640.00

Worked example 2: a double-time window

An agreement pays double outside 8:00 to 4:30. A journeyman at $55.80 works 6:00 AM to 4:30 PM with a 30-minute unpaid lunch:

6:00–8:00 outside the window, double time 2 × $111.60 = $223.20 8:00–4:30 inside the window, less lunch 8 × $55.80 = $446.40 Total 10 hours (8 ST · 0 OT · 2 DT) $669.60

Paid only by daily overtime, the same 10 hours would be 8 straight and 2 overtime: $613.80. Reading the window right is worth $55.80 per person per day, and on a 13-person call that is $725.40.

Where the split usually goes wrong

Habit instead of the rule: writing "8 and 2" for every 10-hour day, whatever the start time.
Missed window hours on early move-ins and late dismantles.
Sundays and holidays paid as normal days.
Minimum calls forgotten on short trouble calls.
Weekly overtime missed when one crew member works several shows in the same week.

Checking the split on every line

In myCrewIQ, you confirm your agreement's rules once. Every line's written straight, overtime and double-time hours are then checked against the in and out times and those rules, and any difference is raised as a question citing the clause. A person decides; nothing is changed by itself. The Live Labor Budget example shows the same rules pricing a whole seven-day show.

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Federal, state and local rules change, and your agreement may differ from the examples. Check with your labor counsel or payroll provider for your situation.

Frequently asked questions

Is overtime for trade show crews paid by the day or by the week?: Federal law only requires overtime after 40 hours in a workweek. Some states, such as California, add daily overtime, and many labor agreements pay overtime after 8 hours in a day. Apply whichever rule pays the crew member more.
When is double time owed?: Federal law has no double time. California requires it after 12 hours in a day and after 8 hours on the seventh consecutive day of a workweek. Labor agreements often add double time for work outside a set daytime window, on Sundays and on holidays.
What is a minimum call?: A rule in many labor agreements that a crew member called in is paid for at least a set number of hours, often 4, even if the work takes less. One hour of work on a 4-hour minimum is paid as 4 hours.
Does myCrewIQ decide the overtime split?: No. myCrewIQ checks the hours the foreman wrote against the rules in your agreement once you have confirmed them, and raises any difference as a question citing the clause. A person decides; it never changes a written figure by itself.