Can a company require a 7-day work week?

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Can a company require a 7-day work week?

I work in a small cell phone shop, at which I am the manager. We went through a period of being seriously understaffed, despite my best efforts. It got so bad, that I was forced to work approximately 30 days in a row without a break many of those days 12 hours long, and without any relief or assistance from my superiors. I am potentially headed towards a similar situation again we have high employee turnover. Do I have any legal recourse to protect myself from this?

Asked on June 1, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, New Jersey

Answers:

M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 7 years ago | Contributor

Other than certain professions, such as airline pilots, some medical personnel, and the like, there is no legal limit as to how many days in a row an employee can be scheduled to work. In an "at will" employment relationship, a company can set the conditions of employment much as it sees fit; this includes how many hours to schedule a worker. Therefore, unless this treatment constitutes some form of legally actionable discrimination or this action violates an employment contract or union agreement, it is legal.


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