Do long working hours impact worker safety?

Yes, studies have shown that long or unusual working shifts have a negative impact on worker safety. One study found that visits to the emergency room from workplace injuries increased nearly threefold outside of regular working hours. Between 6am and 4pm, it was fairly constant at 2 per 200,000. However, outside of this normal shift, the rate jumped to over 5 per 200,000 between the hours of 8pm and 3am, peaking at nearly 7 between midnight and 2am. The increase applied to manual, non-manual, and mixed jobs. The study states that this sharp increase was likely due to worker fatigue and less supervision during off hours.

Are there federal laws that cap the number of hours I can work in a day?

Generally, no, there are no federal laws that limit how many hours you can work in a single day. However, some regulations can affect certain industries, like trucking. Some state labor laws may also have maximum hour laws for minors, as well. The federal law that applies to all employees is the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA. This law does not regulate how many hours you can work in a day. It also does not regulate how many days you can work in a row.

Does federal law mandate rest or meal periods?

No, federal employment law does not require employers to provide rest or meal periods to employees. However, many state laws do mandate these rest periods. For example, in California, non-exempt workers are entitled to: an unpaid 30-minute meal break if they work more than 5 hours in a day, and a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours of work, or substantial fraction thereof. Additionally, many employers provide them even when they are not required to do so.

Can OSHA cite an employer for causing worker fatigue?

OSHA can cite employers for ignoring the risks of employer fatigue in the workplace. However, it cannot cite employers simply because their workers are tired. There is no specific OSHA standard or rule concerning extended work shifts. Instead, citations regarding employee fatigue are based on the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. This Clause requires employers to furnish a workplace that is free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause injury or death. This means that employers can get cited if they know that their workers are overworked and fatigued, recognize the risks, but do nothing to fix it.11

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Publicado June 30, 2023

¿Cuántas horas puedes trabajar en un día según OSHA?

A tired warehouse worker taking a momentary break. — Eight hours is the normal workday.

La Administración de Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional (OSHA) dice que un turno de trabajo normal es no más de 8 horas consecutivas en un día, con cada turno dividido por al menos 8 horas de descanso. Una semana laboral normal es de 5 de estos El Departamento de Trabajo de EE. UU. OSHA cita 50 violaciones de seguridad, propone $917,000 en multas contra Bostik Inc. después de la explosión en Middleton, Massachusetts,” (13 de septiembre de 2011).

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Neil Shouse

Un antiguo fiscal de Los Ángeles, el abogado Neil Shouse se graduó con honores en UC Berkeley y Harvard Law School (y completó estudios de posgrado adicionales en el MIT). Ha aparecido en CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show y Court TV. El Sr. Shouse ha sido reconocido por los Abogados Litigantes Nacionales como uno de los 100 mejores abogados penales y 100 mejores abogados civiles.

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¿Cuántas horas puedes trabajar en un día según OSHA?

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