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The Global Insight

Can my employer force me to work more than 40 hours?

Author

Emily Baldwin

Published Jan 08, 2026

An employer can request that an employee works reasonable overtime. Overtime can be reasonable so long as the following things are taken into account: any risk to health and safety from working the extra hours. if the employee was given enough notice that they may have to work overtime.

Can my employer make me work extra hours?

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.

Can I be scheduled for more than 40 hours a week?

In California, the general overtime provisions are that a nonexempt employee 18 years of age or older, or any minor employee 16 or 17 years of age who is not required by law to attend school and is not otherwise prohibited by law from engaging in the subject work, shall not be employed more than eight hours in any …

What happens when you work more than 40 hours a week?

The federal overtime provisions are contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Unless exempt, employees covered by the Act must receive overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than time and one-half their regular rates of pay.

Can a company make you work more than 48 hours a week?

Your employer can’t make you work more than 48 hours a week on average. It doesn’t matter what your contract says or if you don’t have a written contract. If you’re not sure whether you’re working more than the legal limit, check how many hours you’re working.

What happens if you work too many hours in a week?

If you’re working too many hours – Citizens Advice Your working hours are set in your contract, but your employer can’t make you work more than 48 hours a week. If you’re working too much, there are things you can do to cut back your hours.

What’s the legal limit of how many hours an employee can work?

Keeping records of working hours If an employee has not agreed to work more than 48 hours a week. Employers should keep a record of employees’ working hours (including overtime) to show they’re not working over the legal weekly limit. If an employee has agreed to work more than 48 hours a week

Do you get paid overtime if you work 40 hours a week?

I said something like this: If you are a non-exempt employee, you’ll get paid time and half for overtime once you work 40 hours in a week. If you are a salaried exempt employee, you won’t get paid for overtime, but you can take some time off here and there without losing any pay because you are not paid according to the hours you work.