Is a 14-hour shift legal in the US?
14-Hour Limit
May not drive beyond the 14th consecutive hour after coming on duty, following 10 consecutive hours off duty. Off-duty time does not extend the 14-hour period.
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.
The DOT 14-hour rule is a law that dictates how long a driver can work in a 24-hour time period. According to the rule, a driver must fit all of their drive time for the day into a 14-hour shift. This law states that a worker must take a mandatory ten hours off duty after their 14-hour driving shift.
Under California wage and hour laws, there is no limit to the number of hours an employee can work in a single workday. They can work the full 24-hour period, if they want to.
What are the maximum hours I can be expected to work over an average working day? Workers covered by the Working Time Regulations 1998 must not be required to work more than 13 hours per day and must not be required, against their wishes, to work an average of more than 48 hours a week.
Legally, your employer can't make you work more than 48 hours a week, including overtime. If they want you to work more than that, your employer has to ask you to opt out of the 48-hour limit.
Depending on the type of job that you do and the industry that you are in, working 16 hours a day could be normal. You might work on shift work and put in 80 hours per week, for example. Or you might be gearing up for a big launch that requires long days. Whatever the reason, working 16 hours a day is achievable.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that a normal work shift is no more than 8 consecutive hours in a day, with each shift split by at least 8 hours of rest.
A normal work shift is generally considered to be a work period of no more than eight consecutive hours during the day, five days a week with at least an eight-hour rest.
If you're aged 18 or over and work for more than 6 hours a day, you're entitled to: an uninterrupted rest break of at least 20 minutes, taken during the day rather than at the beginning or end (eg tea or lunch break) 11 hours rest in a row between each working day.
How do you survive a 14 hour work day?
- Make Time For Yourself.
- Create Morning “Me Time”
- Unwind Before Bed.
- Keep Weekends For You.
- Minimize Distractions In The Office.
Can you work 18 hours a day? Yes. But experts do not recommend it as reports show it's counterproductive and hazardous to your overall health. If you have signs of job burnout, you need to act.

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.
But a study in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine shows that consistently surpassing this standard can be detrimental to your health. Researchers found that working 61 to 70 hours a week increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 42 percent, and working 71 to 80 hours increased it by 63 percent.
Working 72–76 hours per week is not rare, but working that amount of time and feeling balanced is quite rare.
Secondly, the law stating that you may not work more than 48 hours a week, which would suggest no more than four 12-hour shifts in a row. However, this number is worked out as an average over 17 weeks, so there is a possibility of more shifts as long as you have enough hours compensated to you.
With 12-hour shifts, your physical and mental health may be at risk. Those who work long shifts are more prone to obesity, sleep problems and low energy levels. Certain professions require long shifts due to the on-the-job duties. Examples are truck drivers, nurses and police officers.
So how much work is too much? A recent study by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization shows that working more than 55 hours a week can have negative effects on your health.
The maximum normal working time allowed (section 9 BCEA) is 45 hours weekly. This is 9 hours per day (excluding lunch break) if the employee works a five-day week, and 8 hours per day (excluding lunch break) if the employee works more than 5 days per week.
Article 87 of the same law is likewise amended to read as follows: “Art. 87. Overtime work. – Work may be performed beyond eight hours a day or 48 hours a week provided that the employee is paid for the overtime work, an additional compensation equivalent to the regular wage plus at least 25 percent thereof.
How much overtime is too much?
The results provide a window into how much overtime is too much. Twenty-five percent beyond normal weekly working hours may be the acceptable limit.
If you work 100 hours per week, you'll have about 68 hours for non-work activities. This amounts to a little more than 9,5 hours of free time per day. Working 100 hours a week means you will be able to sleep about 6 hours every day and spend the rest of your time engaged in meals, hobbies, socializing, etc.
A 6-day week comprised of a total of 80 hours would be between 13 and 14 hours a day, while a 7-day week would make that more like 11 or 12 hours per day.
Steel says working up to 22 hours a day is “pretty brutal physically” – but is it even possible? “No, in a nutshell,” says Maryanne Taylor of the Sleep Works. While you could work that long, especially as a one-off, the impact on productivity would make it hardly worthwhile.
Even so, OSHA does not regulate hours worked, does not require breaks, and does not require a minimum sleeping or rest period between shifts. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires overtime pay after 40 hours, at least for most employees, but it does not require breaks.
It will take you a minimum of two days to complete the OSHA 10 course, which provides 10 hours of training on general workplace safety and health topics. OSHA does not allow students to spend more than 7.5 hours in the course per day, so you cannot complete your training in a single day.
What Are OSHA Violations? An OSHA violation occurs when a company or employee willingly or unknowingly ignores potential and real safety hazards. A violation does not always mean an incident occurred; it can also be substantiated during the OSHA inspection process.
An employer in California is not prohibited from having employees work 24-hour shifts. However, if an employee works a 24-hour shift, there are certain required benefits he must receive, such as overtime, rest periods and meal periods.
Employees who work 12 hours per day are also entitled to at least three 10-minute rest breaks. If the employee was not provided any of these rest breaks, the employee is entitled to an additional one hour pay at the regular rate.
Rest breaks at work
A worker is entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes when daily working time is more than six hours. It should be a break in working time and should not be taken either at the start, or at the end, of a working day.
How many hours can a nurse work in 24 hours?
Full-time nurses may work eight, 10, 12 or even 16-hour shifts depending on their facility's policies and nursing labor state laws regarding overtime. In settings where patient care is provided 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 12-hour shifts are the most common schedule, as is working weekends and nights.
Can my employer force me to do night shifts? An employer cannot force someone to change shift patterns if the employment contract doesn't provide for this. If the contract only stipulates daytime hours, the employer would need the worker's agreement to change these to nighttime hours.
- Create a chart of your time. ...
- Don't compromise on sleep. ...
- Make an accessible schedule. ...
- Standardize your time. ...
- Set aside time for yourself each day. ...
- Energize yourself with breaks. ...
- Socialize with your colleagues. ...
- Outsource your chores.
Working excessively long days is harmful for your health. Numerous productivity studies have found that overworking leads to sleep deprivation, depression, impaired memory, drinking problems and health concerns including diabetes and heart disease.
Working 80 hours a week for 48 weeks a year, the 10 000-hour mark is reached in a mere 2.6 years.
Elon Musk told Twitter staff to expect 80-hour work weeks and fewer office perks, report says. The letter F.
A study from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that working an average of 55 hours or more each week increases your risk of stroke by 35 percent and your risk of dying from heart disease by 17 percent, compared to averaging a 35-40 hour workweek.
Work hours per week: Working too much is bad
“Currently it's accepted that the standard working week is around 40 hours depending on the country. We also know from a large body of research that working over 48 hours is generally bad for an average employee,” Kamerade-Hanta says.
You are entitled to one break of 20 minutes if you work more than six hours a day. That means on a 12 hour shift, you would be legally entitled to one rest break of 20 minutes.
Definition of Full-Time Employee
For purposes of the employer shared responsibility provisions, a full-time employee is, for a calendar month, an employee employed on average at least 30 hours of service per week, or 130 hours of service per month.
How do I refuse overtime?
Keep it factual, not emotional. Don't get personal. Understand the boss's position and state your reason calmly. State that, as much as you would like to step up and help in the given situation, your circumstances/health/other commitments/employment contract do not permit you to do it.
Since becoming the owner of Twitter in late October, his work schedule has gotten even more hectic and he now works about 120 hours a week, the world's richest man said at the annual Ron Baron Conference in New York City on Nov.
It might not be the healthiest long-term solution to work 80 hours a week. However, it can sometimes be unavoidable. If you are working an 80 hour week, try to do it intermittently or for short periods. The most important thing you need to consider to avoid burnout is to keep a healthy sleep schedule.
...
Here are a few steps that can help you manage a 60-hour workweek:
- Take breaks. ...
- Get enough sleep. ...
- Prioritize tasks. ...
- Review your goals. ...
- Exercise regularly. ...
- Keep one full day work-free.
It's important to recognize that there can be negative health concerns that come with working a 12 hour shift. Consistently working long shifts can contribute to sleep disorders, obesity and chronic fatigue. It can be difficult to get enough sleep or stick to a regular sleep schedule.
So, we must recognize how overworking our bodies can lead to unintended health problems. The key to health is to work within the recommended 40–50 hours per week. This allows you the time to take care of your body, rest, sleep and stay healthy.
“Working 55 hours or more per week is a serious health hazard,” added Dr. Maria Neira, Director, Department of Environment, Climate Change and Health, at the World Health Organization. “It's time that we all, governments, employers, and employees wake up to the fact that long working hours can lead to premature death”.
The FLSA does not limit the number of hours per day or per week that employees aged 16 years and older can be required to work.
There is generally no cap on the number of hours an employee can legally work in a day. But under California labor laws, non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay if they work: More than eight (8) hours in a single workday; More than forty (40) hours in a single workweek; or.
Secondly, the law stating that you may not work more than 48 hours a week, which would suggest no more than four 12-hour shifts in a row. However, this number is worked out as an average over 17 weeks, so there is a possibility of more shifts as long as you have enough hours compensated to you.
Does OSHA limit hours work?
A normal work shift is generally considered to be a work period of no more than eight consecutive hours during the day, five days a week with at least an eight-hour rest.
So how much work is too much? A recent study by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization shows that working more than 55 hours a week can have negative effects on your health.
In no case may the regular rate of pay be less than the applicable minimum wage. Ordinarily, the hours to be used in computing the regular rate of pay may not exceed the legal maximum regular hours which, in most cases, is 8 hours per workday, 40 hours per workweek.
Overtime Work Laws in California
So, while it is indeed legal to work 12 hours a day or more in California, the employee must be compensated at double the regular rate for the hours past 12. Between eight and 12 hours, they must be paid time and a half.
Most workers should not have to work more than an average of 48 hours a week, according to the Working Time Regulations. The Regulations also give you rights to paid holiday, rest breaks and limits on night work. Your average working hours are calculated over a 17-week period.
If you claim Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance you should normally either be not working or working on average less than 16 hours a week. Partners of people receiving Income Support/Jobseeker's Allowance are able to work for, on average, up to 24 hours a week, without their partner's entitlement being affected.
If you're aged 18 or over and work for more than 6 hours a day, you're entitled to: an uninterrupted rest break of at least 20 minutes, taken during the day rather than at the beginning or end (eg tea or lunch break) 11 hours rest in a row between each working day.
With 12-hour shifts, your physical and mental health may be at risk. Those who work long shifts are more prone to obesity, sleep problems and low energy levels. Certain professions require long shifts due to the on-the-job duties. Examples are truck drivers, nurses and police officers.
You are entitled to one break of 20 minutes if you work more than six hours a day. That means on a 12 hour shift, you would be legally entitled to one rest break of 20 minutes.
“Each nurse is entitled to three paid 15-minute breaks and a half an hour off the clock every day,” a registered nurse and union representative told MedPage Today.