Can an employer adjust your hours to avoid overtime?

Yes, an employer can adjust your hours to avoid overtime if these hours have not already been worked. For example, if you come in on a Monday and work an additional hour because business is busy, you may be asked to come in an hour later for another shift so you do not go over 40 hours for a week.

An employer can adjust future hours, but they cannot adjust previously worked hours to avoid overtime. This means that if you worked 45 hours one week and then 35 hours the next, your employer cannot just make both of those work weeks 40 hours. You are entitled to receiving overpay for any hours worked over 40 in a single work week.