I work at a distribution center in Alabama and we work anywhere from 13 to 21 hours a day. It's an eleven hour shift and the work week is sat sun & monday. Theres been times where big groups just clocked out and left especially around that 17th hour. The shift starts at 5am,17hrs is 10:30, than have to be back at 5 again, that's not even factoring the ride home which for me is an hour. Then sometimes they stand at the door and tell you it will be job abandonment,but we still leave. And we get a 30 min lunch and 10 mins every 3 hrs. Now it says on the machinery that u cant be operating it(pallet jacks,forklifts,etc)bw 14-16hrs. If there's not a law there should be one. If I get a paid vacation or paid day missed they pay me for 11hrs b/c its an 11 hr shift.

Unfortunately, there is no law in Alabama or on the Federal level that precludes your employer from making you work that many hours in a row. It's very bad business practice, due to potential injuries, diminishing rate of return theory, etc, but it's not illegal. However, if you are working more than 40 hours in a set week (as defined by your company) you should be getting overtime for any hours actually worked over 40. Which means this company is shelling out a lot of money if you are working more each week.

Alabama HR.

Thread hijack. Hi, AL HR. Glad to have someone from the south on board. :D

Thanks Pattymd! There is quite a bit of indepth knowledge being shared on this and other boards and thought I might could lend a hand.

I would also mention that to just leave a site when the supervisor is telling you it is job abandonment is not very smart.

When the inevitable job slowing happens, guess who gets fired first? And for cause?