An employee’s unpaid gap between shifts can create an additional pay obligation—even when no overtime is worked. This is called a “split shift.,” and generally occurs when an employer schedules an unpaid, nonworking interruption longer than a normal meal period within the same workday.
The split shift premium starts at one extra hour of pay at the applicable minimum wage. However, any wages the employee earns above minimum wage that day count toward that premium.
For example, if the applicable minimum wage is $17 and an employee earns $18 per hour for eight hours, they earn $8 above minimum wage that day. That $8 reduces the $17 premium, leaving an additional $9 owed.
The takeaway: review how shifts are scheduled, calculate any premium owed, and itemize it separately on the employee’s pay stub.