Legal Question in Employment Law in Oklahoma
Mandatory overtime for 10-hour shift workers
I work 10-hour days in a call center atmosphere. Recently my employer declared 2-hours of mandatory overtime per week for the entire month of June. On top of that, we were told we must give up our 1-hour lunches for 30-minute lunches. Our job is stressful enough without an added 4-hours per week and a reduced lunch time. They are generous in providing sandwiches, etc. but not everyone enjoys sandwiches or eats meat. To add insult to injury, we were told we would receive an unexcused absence if we did not do the overtime and 3 unexcused results in termination. And as a perverse motivational tactic, we were told this is an at-will employment state and we can be fired for not working the mandatory overtime. Question: Is it legal to take an employee's 1-hour lunch away under forced mandatory overtime?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Mandatory overtime for 10-hour shift workers
Under federal law, your employer is free to make and enforce whatever "work rules" it deems appropriate. If, however, your employer is not paying you for ALL of your overtime hours, that would most likely violate the Fair Labor Standards Act, so consult an attorney immediately.
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