Philippine Labor Law Glossary
Definition: Pre-shift overtime commonly refers to work performed before an employee’s scheduled shift that is compensable and, when it pushes covered work beyond normal statutory hours, may qualify for overtime pay.
What Pre-Shift Overtime Means
Article 84 treats as hours worked time during which an employee is required to be on duty or at a prescribed workplace, as well as time the employee is suffered or permitted to work. This means required or knowingly permitted work before the scheduled shift may be compensable.
However, work performed before the shift is not automatically overtime. Article 87 applies an overtime premium to covered work beyond eight hours a day. If pre-shift work merely changes when the employee’s compensable hours occur without exceeding the overtime threshold, the legal treatment may be different.
Evidence That Matters
- Official work schedule
- Time-in and system-login records
- Supervisor instructions or messages
- Task logs showing work performed before shift
- Payroll and overtime records
Common Misunderstanding
Misunderstanding: Any activity before the scheduled start time automatically earns an overtime premium.
Correct approach: First determine whether the activity is compensable work, then determine whether the employee’s covered compensable hours exceed the legal overtime threshold.
Related Terms
Sources and Legal Citations
- Labor Code, Articles 84 and 87 — hours worked and overtime work. Lawphil text.
Editorial Review and Legal-Review Status
Prepared by: LaborCode.ph Editorial Team
Source verification: Official legal sources checked on August 8, 2026
Article-level legal review status: No named lawyer-review credit has been assigned to this glossary entry.
Disclaimer
Compensability and overtime coverage depend on the actual work performed, employer knowledge or requirement, employee classification and total covered hours.