I'm feeling really abused. I'm a part-time nights and weekend worker. The past 2 days we did the stores semi-annual inventory. They worked us 10 hours the first night only giving us a 15 min break after 8 hours and last night they worked us almost 14 hours only giving us a 15 minute break after 8 hours. After the 13th hour past we were complete with our job but still locked in the building to stand around while they figured other stuff out. Most of our schedules read that we were to be off at 4am...it became 5:30am and I asked to leave. I had a babysitter who had to go to her regular job, and 4 kids that needed to be cared for and taken to school. I was told if I left, then it would be job abandonment. My job had been complete, I had been there almost 14 hours, my schedule said I was off 1.5 hours earlier. Now he is threatening that I will be fired for going home to take care of my children??? To me there seems to be a handful of things not right here. Are there any laws to protect me?

I agree that it's not "right" but if he fires you for leaving the job when you do not have permission to do so, it will nonetheless be legal.

BTW, Colorado does have mandatory break laws, which were not followed. Rather than one fifteen minute break, you should have received two ten minute breaks the first night and three ten minute breaks the second, with a half hour unpaid meal break both nights. You can report the violation to the state DOL.

The two issues are completely separate. The fact that he violated break law does not mean it will become illegal for him to fire you for leaving work without permission.

So, even though my scheduled shift was long over. My tasks were completed and I had worked 13.5 hours straight. An employer can still dictate when I can leave? My shift had been over for 1.5 hours and they had NOTHING for us to do but stand by the timeclock. There's something wrong with this picture.

I agree that it's not right. But it's not illegal either.