I work for a large worldwide company and have been there for about two years. I am a full time employee who on average works 50 hours a week. When I first hired on I signed a paper stating that I am on a "4-10's" work week. Meaning I am required to work monday through thursday at the rate of ten hours a day. I also sighned a paper stating that I could work overtime but did not say who determines how much or when, simply that I could. Here is my problem; in the past few weeks they have been "making" us work almost 70 hours a week, often in excess of 14 hour days and often for more than one week straight with no days off. I live and work in Texas and I have no idea if there is a law that limits the amount of mandatory time an employee must work. They have a paper that states that any scheduled time must be worked and disciplinary action will be taken on employees that do not work said schedule. Basically they have set forth a mandatory schedule that far exceeds the original 40 hour work week and the original 4 days a week. Is there anything I can do about this? Are they in the wrong, legally or am I just screwed and must work the hours they come up with?

Thank you so much.

There is no law for general employment that limits the number of hours an employer can require you work. Unless the "papers" you signed were bona fide, enforceable employment contracts (which is highly unlikely), it is perfectly legal.

There is no law for general employment that limits the number of hours an employer can require you work. Unless the "papers" you signed were bona fide, enforceable employment contracts (which is highly unlikely), it is perfectly legal.

Thank you so much. It is sure not the answer I wanted to hear but thank you never the less.

And thank you for not "killing the messenger". :)

And thank you for not "killing the messenger". :)

ha I have begun to slump into a emotionless area of my life and I blame it on extreme lack of sleep and work over load. All I can say is thank god for movies.

There are some occupations that have limits on how many hours they work (interstate truck drivers, pilots are regulated by federal law; nurses are regulated by law in Maine and maybe a few other states). Aside from that, only California and Maine have broad limits on the number of hours you can be required to work. California (and I don't think it applies to all employees) limits work to only 72 hours in a work week. Think not four ten hour days, but four 18 hour days or maybe six 12 hour days (California's odd overtime rules will apply, of course, but any work week that takes you over 40 hours will involve overtime for a non-exempt employee). Maine limits all but executive exempt employees to 80 hours of overtime in any two consecutive work weeks.