No employer thinks a simple sick leave request could end up costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. But it happens. Employees raise health-related needs all the time—sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly. They might say they can’t work Tuesdays because of a standing therapy appointment. They might mention needing random days off for a mental health condition. Or they might call in sick so often they’ve burned through all their PTO and unpaid time.

Today, we’re talking about something all employers run into at some point—overtime pay compliance. It is an area filled with well-meaning mistakes and gray areas, especially for growing businesses juggling a lot of roles and responsibilities–and getting it wrong, even unintentionally, can lead to massive penalties, back pay, and lawsuits.