What Is The Longest Shift You Can Legally Work?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) states that any work

over 40 hours in a 168 hour period

is counted as overtime, since the average American work week is 40 hours – that’s eight hours per day for five days a week.

Is it legal to work over 12 hours a day?


12 hour shifts are legal

. However, the regulations generally require that there should be a break of 11 consecutive hours between each 12 hour shift.

Can an employer work 16 hours straight?

The FLSA

sets no limits on how many hours a day

or week your employer can require you to work. It requires only that employers pay employees overtime (time and a half the worker’s regular rate of pay) for any hours over 40 that the employee works in a week.

What is the legal length of a work shift?

The minimum rest period in a 24-hour period should not be less than

11 consecutive hours

. In general, workers are entitled to at least 11 hours rest per day, at least one day off each week, and a rest break during the shift if it is longer than six hours.

Is working 13 hours a day illegal?


Workers covered by the Working Time Regulations must not be required to work more than 13 hours per day

. Also individuals must not be required, against their wishes, to work an average of more than 48 hours a week. … The hours that an individual works in a week are averaged out over what is termed a ‘reference period’.

Is it illegal to work 80 hours a week?

Labor laws in the United States give employers ample latitude regarding scheduling.

Employers essentially can have employees work any number of hours

, including 80 hours per week or more, and employees’ only recourse if they do not like their schedule is to find other employment.

Can you get fired for refusing to work overtime?

If an employee fails to comply with a lawful and reasonable direction to work a reasonable amount of overtime, then

the employee may be guilty of serious misconduct

. This would mean that you could dismiss them without notice.

Are 24 hour shifts legal?

According to the United States Department of Labor, working a 24-hour shift can cause employees emotional, mental and physical stress. At the time of publication,

no comprehensive federal law prevents employers from requiring workers over age 16

to complete shifts of 24 hours or even more.

Can you work 16 hours a day UK?

You

can’t work more than 48 hours a week

on average – normally averaged over 17 weeks. This law is sometimes called the ‘working time directive’ or ‘working time regulations’. … If you’re under 18, you can’t work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week.

How many 12 hour shifts can you work in a row?

Allowing rest periods and lunch breaks, limiting employees to

three 12-hour shifts per week

and scheduling days off between 12-hour shift days may help your employees obtain sufficient rest and avoid stress.

Can I be scheduled for a 1 hour shift?

The California call-in rule only requires that whenever an employee has to check-in to see if they have a shift scheduled that day, the employer must pay them a half shift’s worth of pay if they aren’t scheduled. … But

there is no minimum shift length

. An employer can have shifts of only 1.5 hours.

Can you work 2 shifts a day?

How many hours between shifts is legal in California? Though

California does not have any laws regarding time between shifts

, it does have laws requiring employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond the standard eight-hour workday.

Can a company make you work 7 days a week?


Employers can get permission from the Department of Labor to work their employees 7 days a week

, but they can only do that a maximum of 8 weeks a year. … The Department of Labor also enforces the law on behalf of employees.

Do you get a break on a 4 hour shift?

Yes,

we do get a 15 minute break working a four hour

shift. Yes, usually its up to the individual. … Yes you would get a 15 minute break if you worked four or more hours. You would get more breaks or longer breaks if your worked longer hours.

How many breaks do you get in a 13 hour shift?

Hours Worked Lunch Break Required 6 or more hours but less than 10 hours

30

-minute lunch break required
10 or more hours but less than 12 hours 30-minute lunch break required 12 or more hours 30-minute lunch break required

How many breaks do you get in a 8 hour shift?

If the employee is required to work a shift of more than eight hours and up to 10 hours, the employee is entitled to an

unpaid break of no less than 30 minutes and an additional 20 minute paid break

(which may be taken as two 10 minute paid breaks).

Rachel Ostrander
Author
Rachel Ostrander
Rachel is a career coach and HR consultant with over 5 years of experience working with job seekers and employers. She holds a degree in human resources management and has worked with leading companies such as Google and Amazon. Rachel is passionate about helping people find fulfilling careers and providing practical advice for navigating the job market.