Wage & Hour Compliance Kit | Overtime Calculator + HR Templates for Small Business, Trades & Construction | Editable Word, Excel, Google Docs

Everything you need to handle overtime, drive time, meal breaks, on-call, off-the-clock work, and the regular-rate calculations that quietly create the most wage claims in trades businesses — with a working Excel calculator that does the math for you.

Built from 20+ years of real-world HR experience in field and trades industries. No corporate fluff. No legal jargon. Just usable tools you can put to work the same day.

WHO THIS IS FOR

Small and mid-sized employers in trades and field-service — construction, roofing, gutters, siding, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, landscaping, pest control, cleaning, restoration, pressure washing, fencing, paint, solar.

If you have crews, drivers, installers, technicians, helpers, foremen, or service techs on payroll, this kit is for you.

WHAT'S INSIDE

The risk assessment (where you start)

• Wage & Hour Risk Scan — a 30-minute self-audit to find your gaps before someone else does

The policies (employee-facing, signature-ready)

• Timekeeping Policy + Employee Acknowledgment
• Travel & Drive Time Guide + Approval Form
• Meal & Rest Break Policy + Missed Meal Form
• Overtime Policy + Pre-Approval Form
• On-Call & Call-Back Policy + Time Record
• Off-the-Clock Work Acknowledgment

The forms (everyday operational use)

• Timecard Correction Form
• Wage Complaint Intake & Investigation Form

The calculator (the part nobody else has)

• Overtime & Regular Rate of Pay Calculator — a working Excel workbook with three calculators (hourly + bonuses, piece rate, and multiple pay rates), a side-by-side wrong-way vs. right-way comparison that shows your actual exposure in dollars, and three worked examples
• Calculator User Guide — plain-English walkthrough of when to use which tab and how to read the results

The training & reference

• Manager Cheat Sheet — what never to say about pay, and what to say instead
• Real Examples — 6 scenarios with wrong-way vs. right-way and the dollar exposure
• Manager Training Talking Points — 5 scenarios you can walk a foreman through in 45 minutes
• Quick Reference One-Pager — the print-and-pin

Plus a Start Here Guide and an Edit Instructions & Google Docs Access Links doc so you can edit everything online.

WHY THIS KIT IS DIFFERENT

Most wage and hour kits hand you blank policies and call it a day. This one does more.

• A working Excel calculator that does the regular-rate-of-pay math — the single most common source of overtime miscalculation in trades businesses
• Plain English — no HR jargon, no legal-ese
• Built-in FLSA and state-law cautions on the riskiest sections (drive time, breaks, on-call, regular rate)
• Field-trades focus — Travel & Drive Time covers shop meetings, supply runs, ride-alongs, and out-of-town work; On-Call covers after-hours phone and text response
• 6 real-world wrong-way vs. right-way examples with actual dollar exposure, so you can see exactly what each mistake costs
• Manager training scripts so your foremen know the rules, not just your policies

WHAT YOU GET

• 16 editable templates in Microsoft Word (.docx)
• 1 working Excel calculator (.xlsx) — also works in Google Sheets
• Google Docs versions of every template (access links included)
• Instant digital download
• Fully editable — rename, restructure, rebrand, your call

ALREADY HAVE THE MANAGER SURVIVAL KIT?

The two kits are designed to work together. The Manager Survival Kit handles write-ups, PIPs, coaching conversations, and termination documentation. This kit handles wage, hour, time, and pay compliance — the everyday side of payroll that creates the most legal exposure. Several documents in this kit follow the same documentation patterns as the Manager Survival Kit, so the two flow into each other.

QUICK Q&A

Do I need Microsoft Word or Excel? No. Google Docs versions are included for every template. The Excel calculator works in Google Sheets or LibreOffice — all the formulas carry over.

Will this work for my state? The forms work everywhere. The policies follow federal FLSA rules, which are the floor in every state. State-specific rules (daily overtime in California, premium break pay in Oregon, wage statement requirements in New York, and similar) are flagged throughout with built-in cautions on the riskiest sections. Always have your final policies reviewed by an employment attorney.

Will this work for prevailing wage or public works projects? No. Public works and prevailing wage projects carry separate compliance requirements (certified payroll, wage determinations, fringe documentation) that need their own toolkit. This kit handles general FLSA wage and hour for private commercial and residential work.

What about salaried employees? The kit assumes most of your hourly nonexempt workforce. The Risk Scan and Manager Cheat Sheet both cover exempt vs. non-exempt classification, but the policies and calculator are designed primarily for hourly and piece-rate employees — which is where most trades businesses get into trouble.

Can I customize the templates? Yes. Everything is fully editable. Change names, rates, signature blocks, branding, anything.

Is this only for trades? It's built with trades and field-service pain points in mind (drive time, piece rate, on-call, after-hours response), but the policies and forms work for any business with hourly nonexempt employees — office, retail, restaurant, warehouse, healthcare.

How do I get the files? Instantly after purchase. Etsy will email you a download link.

LICENSE

Personal and internal business use. Edit, customize, and use these for your own company or clients. Do NOT resell, redistribute, or share these as your own product.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER

These templates are for informational and operational use only. They do not constitute legal advice. Wage and hour law — especially overtime calculations, drive time, on-call pay, meal and rest breaks, and exempt vs. non-exempt classification — varies significantly by state. Have your final policies reviewed by an employment attorney before adopting them.

Message me. I'm a real person and I read every message.