If I worked overtime last week and was paid, can my supervisor ask me to work less than 40 hours next week to make up for the lost wages?
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If I worked overtime last week and was paid, can my supervisor ask me to work less than 40 hours next week to make up for the lost wages?
While unethical, can my supervisor legally request this of me or my co-workers?
Asked on December 21, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, Maine
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
Yes it can. So long as you were paid for the previous week as you should have been (i.e. for 40 hours, plus the OT that you worked), then your hours can be cut the following week. That is as long as doing so does not violate the terms of any applicable union agreement or employment contract. The fact is that most employment relationships are "at will", which means that absent some form of actionable discrimination, a company can set the conditions of work much as it sees fit.
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