Where the overtime comes from
Overtime mainly sits with technicians, washers, PDI staff, drivers and security. Sales consultants also stay late at month-end, but their reward is usually the per-vehicle incentive, and whether a consultant counts as a worker for overtime depends on the role and pay. Decide the eligible groups in writing before the festive season, when the question will be asked most often.
- Same-day repairs promised to the customer
- Manufacturer service camps and monsoon check-up drives
- Dhanteras and Diwali deliveries late into the night
- Body shop surges after floods or hailstorms
- Month-end PDI and accessory fitment for pending deliveries
Worked example: a technician in Diwali week
A technician on a monthly gross of ₹18,200, paid on a 26-day basis, has a day rate of ₹700 and an hourly rate of ₹87.50. In Diwali week he stays back on three evenings for 2.5 hours each, which is 7.5 hours at the working day multiplier of 2: 7.5 x ₹87.50 x 2 = ₹1,312.50. He also works 4 hours on Diwali for urgent deliveries, paid at the dealership's holiday multiplier of 2.5: 4 x ₹87.50 x 2.5 = ₹875. His overtime for the month comes to ₹2,187.50.
Approval the next morning
Overtime detected from last night's punches should be approved by the works manager or floor supervisor the next morning, while they still remember which cars were pending, and then by HR. Reject overtime that was really a late start: effective hours show when a technician arrived late and simply stayed late. A monthly cap per person stops overtime from turning into a second salary that the workshop quietly depends on.
The legal rate and consent
Under the OSH Code, any work past the prescribed hours is overtime, payable at double the ordinary wage rate, and a worker takes it on only by consent. Hold all multipliers, weekday, weekly off and holiday, at 2 or more, and keep consent on file for technicians who work regular overtime. Where a technician prefers time off, comp-off can be offered, but pay should remain the default for workers. The working hours and overtime rules explain the position.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Turn on the overtime policy for workshop and support teams, counting after shift end, with the 30-minute minimum and 15-minute rounding.
- Set the working day multiplier at 2 and the weekly off and holiday multipliers at 2 or more, with a monthly cap per person.
- Require approval so the works manager or floor supervisor reviews detected overtime each morning, before it reaches HR.
- Bulk approve festival week overtime after checking it against the delivery register, and reject late starts presented as late finishes.
- Confirm that approved overtime appears in the month's payroll as an earning based on the gross day rate.
Read more about overtime in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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Do car dealership technicians get overtime?
Yes, where the technician counts as a worker: work past the prescribed hours is overtime, paid at two times the ordinary wage, with the technician's consent. Dealerships usually pay it monthly with salary, after the works manager approves the hours, and some offer comp-off to technicians who prefer time off.
Do sales consultants get overtime for late deliveries?
Usually not in the same way. Sales consultants are rewarded through per-vehicle incentives, and many dealerships treat late deliveries as part of the role, with comp-off for worked weekly offs. Whether a consultant counts as a worker for overtime depends on duties and pay, so check each role.
How do dealerships control overtime costs?
By approving overtime the next morning against the job card or delivery register, rejecting late starts disguised as late finishes, and setting a monthly cap per person. Regular overtime in the same bay usually means the workshop needs another technician, not more approvals.