Need some information on the 40 hour work week ...

[daggahead]

Is there some law or statute that says the legal US work week is 40 hours?

If so, can somebody provide a link to it?

Thanks in a advance!

[kentauros]

1. My first thought for info is the EEOC

http://www.eeoc.gov

You'll have to search their page to find that info, but it's pretty extensive :)

[mopinko]

2. no, here

http://www.dol.gov/whd/index.htm

long standing federal law.

[daggahead]

3. So ... most employers violate this law on a regular basis ...

I am only allowed to put 40 hours in my timesheet at work, but expected to work 45 - 50 hours each week. So, essentially, I work between 240 - 520 for free.

That pisses me off ...

[One_Life_To_Give]

6. Exempt or non-exempt?

Overtime laws are different for salaried exempt employees vs hourly non-exempt.

As an hourly employee labor laws are written to protect one from such things as uncompensated overtime. Do most employeers obey the law? In my experience yes, but I have no statistical reference for that.

For exempt employees 45-50hrs a week for a fixed rate may be the normal expected depending upon the job/profession.

[daggahead]

4. Rat Farts.

Section 17a covers the exemption for my kind of work. Nice. So, I guess employers can make their workers work for free.

[mopinko]

5. it's definitely full of holes.

especially the part where companies make everyone a manager.
are you in a union? do you think it would be possible to form one?
DH works long hours, for which he is finally being properly compensated. but for many years i threatened to find a poster of the haymarket martyrs to hang on his cube wall. especially here in chicago, it has a lot of meaning. i never did find one, but i bet these days with the internets and all, you maybe could.

[daggahead]

7. I work in information technology ...

no unions, lots of H1B people ...

[Sanity Claws]

8. The overtime statutes

Federal law requires that you get paid overtime wages (1.5 times usual wage) if you work more than 40 hours in a week and are in a covered position.
Unfortunately, many positions are exempt from the overtime statutes and the employer is free to have you work an unlimited number of hours for the same salary.