Dear all
I am trying to set up some policies on overtime rates and periods and I am having a lot of conflicting ideas that I hope somebody can clarify for me.

If someone has worked for say 40 hours a week in the first week (our standard working week is 35hrs of 7 hrs per day over a 5 day week) and next week the employee is ill for the next 3 working days but works for 10 hours each day thereafter (20 hours for the second week that is) should he be paid overtime of 5 hrs in the first week and 6 hrs for the second? Alternatively, can this be viewed as no overtime done at all assuming they have to work 70 hours as standard in the two weeks in question (7 hrs a day)but they have only done 60 in total?
As a small firm we do not pay sick pay for the first 3 working days of absence.

The above is a realistic scenario that occurs from time to time when during certain times of the year we are extremely busy and some staff work very hard in the first week and then end up falling ill and continue working long hours thereafter. From employees point of view they would feel justified in treating the same as overtime but from employer’s point of view he has ended up getting few hours of work in total over a two week period based on above scenario.Where does one draw a line? One week, one month, etc?

Can anyone specify what the employment legislation says about such overtime?

Can someone offer me some standard policies guidelines I can set up for future overtime arrangements?

Thanks.
Greg