My husband is a technician/mechanic for used car dealer in Marietta, GA. He is paid hourly and works at minimum of 9.5 hours per day. His company has never paid overtime (OT) to their employees and are now insisting that they work 6 days a week and cutting down their daily lunches from 1 hour to only 1/2 hour and taking away the two 10 minute breaks to only one 5 minute break a day.

My question is if hourly mechanics are to be paid OT for anything over 40 hours per week, and if it is legal for the company to only offer one 5 minute break in a 9.5 hour day and only 1/5 hour lunch.

I have a feeling that they are using the fact that they can mandate overtime to almost 60 hours a week to avoid having to hire more employees and have to pay more in workman's comp, unemployment, etc. Isn't there a point where an employer can be abusing the system?

Thank you, Sarah

Yes, if they are in a non-exempt position (which an hourly paid mechanic most likely is) they must be paid OT for any hours over 40 in a week.

However, in Georgia the employer is not required to offer ANY breaks. So yes, it is legal to offer only the breaks you mention.