Does anyone know anything about labor laws?

[Minnie824]

I'm asking for my father. He works at a factory that is not a part of a union. They 'make' them work every weekend, and some weekdays 12 hour days. He does get paid for overtime, but if he doesn't work on a Sat, they get upset about it. He's told them he won't work on Sundays, but they want him to work then too. I feel bad for him cuz he's exhausted, and he's afraid to speak up because he really needs the job for insurance for a number of health issues he's had lately. I was just wondering if anyone knows if its legal to make people constantly work 12 hour days and weekends. As I said he does get paid overtime, but its not much. The state is Illinois, not sure if that makes a difference. Thanks for any info!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

According to this page
http://www.ewin.com/articles/restper.htm

employees in Illinois must be given one day off per every 7 days - which matches what I remember from working in a restaurant.

It also says this

One would think that there would be many state labor codes which restrict the number of hours that an employee could be forced to work in a workweek. The only state in the country with a maximum number of hours for the average employee is California -- 72 hours. Most other states do have some regulations regarding maximum hours for child labor, or specific industries such as trucking, farming and agriculture, and a few for health care, but only California has addressed the problem for non-specific occupations.

 

[mrsv98]

Unfortunately, Illinois is an "at will" state which means unless he is in a union, he can be fired for no reason. I am sure his employers are aware of this and thus take advantage. With the job market spotty, some places of business are really pushing their workers. My DH is in a salaried position but works all the time because he is afraid of being fired. Sorry I couldn't give you better info.

 

[Piglet]

Can your father get a note from his doctor that he can only work a certain # of hours a week because of his health?

Melinda