Commission does not replace overtime
A stylist who works four extra hours on Karva Chauth eve earns more commission, but commission pays for the services sold, not for the time. Under the OSH Code, hours beyond the prescribed limit are overtime, worked with the employee's consent and paid at twice the ordinary wage rate; see the overtime rules. The simplest rule for a salon is that approved hours beyond the shift are overtime, whatever services were done in them, and commission is paid on top as usual.
Worked example: Karva Chauth eve
Farah is a beautician with a monthly gross of ₹18,720 on the 12 pm to 9 pm shift, and she stays until 12:45 am on Karva Chauth eve. Her gross day rate is ₹720 (₹18,720 over 26 days). She works 3 hours 45 minutes past her shift, which is 3.75 hours of overtime. Her hourly rate is ₹720 divided by 8, or ₹90, so overtime at twice the ordinary rate is ₹90 x 3.75 x 2 = ₹675. Her mehendi and makeup commission for the evening is paid separately through the incentive input, and the salon's cab home is added as a reimbursement.
Comp-off after the season
Many staff would rather rest after a run of festival nights than take cash. Offer comp-off as a payout choice: 4 hours of overtime earn half a day off and 8 hours a full day. Comp-off credits expire, so plan them into the quiet weeks after the season, when the salon can spare people, rather than letting them lapse in a busy January.
Approvals, caps and the ride home
Every night ZeniaHR checks punches for time past the shift, ignores anything under 30 minutes and rounds the rest down to 15-minute steps, so the manager is not relying on memory at month end. The salon manager approves and HR confirms. Set a monthly cap so the same two senior stylists do not carry every festival night, and arrange transport home for anyone who leaves after the last bus or metro, especially women staff on late closings.
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- Turn on overtime tracking from shift end, so time under half an hour is ignored and the rest is rounded down to 15 minutes.
- Use a multiplier of 2 or more for every overtime type: normal days, weekly offs and holidays.
- Let staff pick cash or comp-off, where four overtime hours buy half a day off and eight buy a full day.
- Route overtime to the salon manager and then HR, and cap monthly overtime per person.
- Enter festival commission separately as an incentive input, so it is never mixed up with overtime.
Read more about overtime in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
Do salon staff get overtime on festival days?
Yes, when they work beyond their prescribed hours. The OSH Code treats those extra hours as overtime, which needs the employee's consent and is paid at twice the ordinary wage rate. Commission earned in those hours is paid on top. Many salons also offer comp-off after the season for staff who prefer rest.
Is commission a substitute for overtime pay?
No. Commission pays for services sold, while overtime pays for extra time worked. A stylist who stays four extra hours on a festival eve should get overtime for those hours, or comp-off if she chooses it, and her normal commission on the services she did.
How is overtime calculated for a beautician?
Work from the gross day rate. A beautician earning ₹720 a day has an hourly rate of ₹90, and each overtime hour is paid at double that, ₹180. For 3.75 hours after her shift, that is ₹180 x 3.75 = ₹675, with commission for the evening paid on top.