Can a company make you work seven days a week?
Full Question:
Can a company make you work seven days a week?
05/20/2007 |
Category: Employment |
State: Illinois |
#5368
Answer:
We are assuming that your job is not regulated by a state or federal agency. Regarding hours worked. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is a federal act that is sometimes referred to as the minimum wage law. It also deals with child labor, overtime pay requirements, and equal pay provisions. Coverage is very broad. Almost all businesses could be said to be involved in interstate commerce in some way. Exemptions to the Act are very specifically defined. The three most common are: a) Independent contractors; b) Executive, administrative, and professional people (white collar exemption); and c) Certain outside commissioned salesman are also exempt.
The FLSA requires that nonexempt employees be paid 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for time work in excess of 40 hours. Salaried employees also are entitled to overtime payment unless they come under one of the white collar exemptions. To compute overtime payment due to a salaried employee, you divide their regular wage (figured as a weekly wage) by the number of hours they normally work in a week and then multiply it by 1.5 to get the amount they would receive for hours worked in excessof 40. The child labor provisions of the FLSA were created to keep children in school for at least a minimum number of years. Someone 18 or older is not covered by the Act. Children 16-17 may work but can only work in nonhazardous jobs. The number of hours they can work is not limited. Children 14-15 may only work in jobs that are nonhazardous and don’t involve manufacturing or mining. The hours they can work are also limited. Children under 14 generally may not work.