Can my employer make me work past my shift?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can my employer make me work past my shift?
My employer knew for 24 hours that there was no
one to replace me at 7am. They asked me to stay
for 2 hours. I told them no. I work as a
professional nurse. How can I leave work
without abandoning my patients?
Asked on July 20, 2019 under Employment Labor Law, Michigan
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
Your employer, not you, sets your hours and can change or extend them at will. Your employer therefore may require you to work past your normal shift whenever it wants to do so: if you are hourly, however, you'd have to be paid for the additional time worked and also for overtime as applicable.
The only exception would be if you have a written employment contract (including a union or collective bargaining agreement) setting your shifts or hours, or limited the employer's ability to change your hours, etc. If you do, the employer is bound by its terms and cannot do anything barred by the contract.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.