How do you guys work out the ref period of 17 weeks with your employers if you’re on salary?
For example if my employer wants me to work overtime in first couple of months, do I take paid days off for the remaining period? How does it work?
Look at your Contract of Employment. That should explain how you are paid. Different companies arrange it differently.
thx but whats the standard in the industry, is my question…
If your on a salaried job be same pay every week regardless of hours worked.
Some weeks will be long some will be short.
From my experience though you won’t get many shorter weeks to balance things out place I worked at I complained not getting in many shorter weeks to compensate.
Was told swings and roundabouts . Never really did get many shorter weeks so I left went to hourly paid job instead.
If you work it out on a salary divided by hours hours some weeks was on minimum wage or less
True enough And if the Employment Contract says that, then there is no argument. Every week will be exactly the same pay.
Many talk about salary when they are paid by the day or shift, so are not really on a sala
If the OP is really on a salry then he will get the same pay every week irrepective of hours actually worked.
True. So you should really look at hrs worked per year, and pay per year, not split it into weeks.
Not having a dig at anyone.
But some people are useless with money wages hours. Etc. I know lots of people who never check there payslips or don’t login to the app etc.
All some people see is money going into there account every week and are happy.
And think places use salaries as an excuse to get labour cheaper. They say to you were pay you £800 a week no matter what hours worked .lot of people will be happy and won’t realise at times there working for minim wage based on hours worked.
Some people just don’t have there head screwed on regards wages and hours.etc long as they see something in there bank each week there happy
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When you say overtime are you meaning an additional day?
If you are contracted to 5 from 7 on salary I would expect you would be paid either hourly or day rate to re-imburse you for an extra shift, ideally with a multiplier up from your normal (notional) pay rate.
If you get enough opportunity to take break or poa during shift each day then it wouldn’t necessarily push your wtd average too high over the reference period. Or if it does you might need to consider the work / life balance you have!
As @edd1974 has said if he is really on a salary then he will receive the same pay per week/month no matter how many hrs are worked.
If he is paid per day, or per shift, then it is not a salary.
It could well be a misuse of the term salary by the OP. Or even the company!
Whatever it is, he needs to look at his own terms of employment. The devil is always in the detail.
Perhaps there is a subtlety to the term salary that has passed over me, but in my mind salary reimburses you for your contracted hours or days. Overtime, paid by hours or day rate, would be due for work over and above that.
In your example getting a 6th shift would be a hard sell for the boss, no?? 
I’m contracted for 5 from 7 for a salary defined in my contract. Night premium, night out money, hours worked for a 6th shift are extras.
That said if the office staff work extra hours or a weekend shift, they get time off in lieu, as I understand.
From wiki:
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis.
In haulage I have come across, flat hourly rate, hourly rate with alterations for hrs worked after xhrs per day, (overtime calculated daily) alteration after xhrs per week, (overtime calc weekly), day rate, trip money, job rate, and bonuses for all sorts of things.
When I was on a salary I knew to the penny how much I would get every month. Always the same Sometimes I wporked 6 day weeks, sometimes 4 day weeks, and day’s length from 2 hrs to 22hrs (ferry moves)
Salaries are not often a good way to receive payment outside of regualr fixed hrs employment. It can work well, but needs careful looking at. Getting full pay when off sick is a good perk.