Can my employer make me go from night shift to day shift multiple times a week?

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Can my employer make me go from night shift to day shift multiple times a week?

I work for a private security agency as an armed protection officer. I found out on the Friday before the posting of this week’s schedule that I have been scheduled to work Monday and Tuesday 0700-1900, Wednesday and Thursday 1900-0700 and Saturday 0900-1700. Given the nature of my work which requires high levels of alertness and situational awareness, is this schedule lawful? Being asked to rotate a sleep schedule within 24 hours, 2 times in a week seems like a recipe for sleep deprivation which could lead to the inability to preform my job functions to the appropriate standard set forth by my agency. I do understand that my state has very loose, for lack of a better word, at will and right to work laws which allow employers to work their employees to a near extreme limit, however this seems too much given the circumstances of my work.

Asked on September 2, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Florida

Answers:

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

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

Unless you have an employment contract or union agreement that prohits such a schedule, your employer can mandate that you go from night to day shift, even multiple times a week. The fact is that absent certain occupations/professions (i.e. truck driver, airline pilot, certain medical personnel, etc.), there is no limit in most states as to the number of hours/days in a row that an employee can be scheduled to work.

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

Answered 4 years ago | Contributor

Unless you have an employment contract or union agreement that prohits such a schedule, your employer can mandate that you go from night to day shift, even multiple times a week. The fact is that absent certain occupations/professions (i.e. truck driver, airline pilot, certain medical personnel, etc.), there is no limit in most states as to the number of hours/days in a row that an employee can be scheduled to work. 


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