How many hours of overtime can an employee legally work in a week?

[tanjirookamado]

A manager asked me if there's a legal cap on how many hours overtime an employee can work. I know FLSA kicks in after 40 hours for non-exempt staff, but is there a federal maximum? Are there state-level limits or safety concerns HR should be flagging around excessive overtime?

 

[samuel]

Federally there's actually no cap on how many overtime hours an adult can work, the FLSA just requires you pay them for it after 40 hours, but some states have their own limits and HR should definitely flag it if someone's burning out.

 

[William]

The Fair Labor Standards Act does require overtime pay for non-exempt employees after 40 hours, but it doesn't actually set a cap on the number of overtime hours an employee can work. However, some states have their own laws limiting overtime hours, so it's worth checking your state's specific regulations. From a safety perspective, excessive overtime can be a concern, as it can lead to employee burnout and increased risk of accidents. Your HR department should be monitoring overtime hours to ensure they're not excessive and taking steps to prevent employee fatigue, such as encouraging time off or providing resources for managing workload.

 

[Tight Eyez]

In many places, there’s no fixed legal limit on how many overtime hours an adult employee can work in a week, but labor laws usually require overtime pay often 1.5 times regular pay for hours worked beyond a standard threshold such as 40 hours per week under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act. Some states or countries set daily or weekly maximums, mandatory rest periods, or special industry rules for safety. The exact legal limit depends on local labor laws, employee classification, and industry regulations.