How many hours in a row can nurse be scheduled to work?

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How many hours in a row can nurse be scheduled to work?

My wife is a nurse. Yesterday she worked 22 hours returning home at 5 am. She is on call today and was called back in starting at 8 am. Is there a law that states that you are entitled to some “sleeping in” time?

Asked on December 20, 2015 under Employment Labor Law, Florida

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 8 years ago | Contributor

No, there is no upper limit in the law to how many hours a nurse can be scheduled to work in a row: they can be required to work any number of hours with no or minimal breaks, and there is no requirement for "sleeping in" time (at least, there is no requirement or limitation unless there is a written employment, including union or collective bargaining, contract which has such limits; if there is, the employer must follow it). Assuming your wife is hourly, she must be paid for all hours worked, of course; and if she is non-exempt from overtime (and all hourly employees are non-exempt), she must be paid overtime for all hours worked past 40 in a week.


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