Under U.S. federal law (FLSA), there is no maximum limit on the number of hours a salaried, exempt employee (aged 16+) can be required to work in a day or week. Employers can require long hours, including weekends and nights, without extra pay, as salary covers all hours necessary to complete the job.
Overtime is paid when an employee works more than 40 hours in a workweek. Hours worked in excess of 8 hours a day is not considered overtime, except when work is performed on a State or county public works construction project.
As per the FLSA, salaried employees are entitled to receive their full salary regardless of the number of hours or days they work. However, if a salaried employee is absent for an entire workweek without any valid reason, the employer is not obligated to provide payment for that week.
Connecticut's "4-Hour Rule" (Reporting Time Pay) generally requires employers in specific industries (like retail, laundry, beauty shops) to pay employees for a minimum of four hours' work if they report for a scheduled shift, even if the employer sends them home early or there's no work, with some exceptions for shorter shifts or hotel/restaurant workers (2 hours). This protects workers from being called in for very short, unpaid stints, ensuring some compensation for their time and travel, though it doesn't apply universally and can be waived for agreed-upon short shifts.
However, the FLSA does not impose a maximum number of hours that an employee can work in a day. Instead, the law generally requires that employees be compensated for all hours worked, particularly when it comes to overtime pay for hours exceeding 40 in a workweek.
Legally, how long you can work without a break depends on your location, as the U.S. federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) doesn't require meal or rest breaks, but many states do, with rules varying from requiring a 30-minute meal break for shifts over 5-6 hours (like California or Illinois) to mandating paid 10-minute breaks every 4 hours (like Colorado). Federal law only mandates paid short breaks (5-20 mins) if provided, and unpaid meal breaks (30+ mins) if they relieve you of duties, while state laws often offer stronger protections, especially for minors.
The "new rule" for salaried workers refers to the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) 2024 overtime rule, which significantly raised salary thresholds for exempt status (making more lower-paid salaried workers eligible for overtime) but was largely vacated by a federal court in November 2024, meaning the scheduled increases to $43,888 (July 1, 2024) and $58,656 (Jan 1, 2025) were blocked. While the original 2019 salary threshold of $35,568 ($684/week) temporarily rose to $43,888 in July 2024 before being blocked, the rule is currently on hold, with no new automatic triennial updates planned, and the existing $35,568 threshold largely remains in effect, though state laws (like California's) may have higher requirements.
Salaried workers in Florida may be required to work over 40 hours weekly based on their exemption status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Employees with exempt status do not qualify for overtime pay but may be assigned work schedules that exceed 40 hours per week.
If you are an adult, you are not guaranteed a lunch break under Florida law. That is true whether you are an hourly employee or a salaried employee. Our state has no statute that mandates meal or rest breaks for adult employees in either the public or private sector.
Yes, it's legal to deduct pay from a salaried (exempt) employee in very specific, limited circumstances under the FLSA, like full-day absences for personal reasons (not sickness), jury/military duty, or for major safety violations, but improper deductions (like for partial-day absences or as discipline) can cost the employer their exempt status and trigger overtime pay requirements. Employers usually must pay the full salary for any week an exempt employee works at all, but can deduct from vacation/PTO for partial-day absences or make full-day deductions for sickness/disability if there's a bona fide company policy in place.
The expectation for a salaried worker is to log 40 hours a week. If you can't hit those numbers, then taking PTO is required. There are certainly places that will make exceptions or allow you to "make up" time in the week prior or after, but working 40 hours a week or taking PTO if you are under is pretty normal.
Your employer can't make you work more than 48 hours a week on average.
The total number of hours a salaried employee may be expected to work is up to the employer's discretion. However, it's important to remember that non-exempt, salaried employees must be paid the applicable overtime rate for hours worked in excess of 40 per workweek.
Employers must follow the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in Florida, as no state overtime laws exist. Under the FLSA, non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay for hours worked beyond the standard 40-hour workweek.
Under federal law, an employer can round down working time lasting seven minutes or less.
The drawbacks of receiving salary pay include: No overtime: Companies are not required to pay overtime to salaried employees, although some do. If you work 60 hours in a week rather than just 40 hours, you may not be eligible for overtime pay or compensated for your time.
Do Salaried Employees Have to Clock In? Salaried employees don't legally have to clock in, and most employers don't require it. This is because salaried employees are paid for the work they do, not the number of hours in which they do it.
The reality of an 80-hour work week
It's a model born often out of necessity rather than choice and driven by industries where extended work hours are not only common but also expected. For many professionals, an 80-hour workweek will sound like an occasional grind.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that a normal work shift is no more than 8 consecutive hours in a day, with each shift split by at least 8 hours of rest. A normal workweek is 5 such work days. However, this is not binding. OSHA does not penalize employers who demand more.
Research suggests working more than 55 hours a week can have negative effects on your health — and it's no wonder. When we sacrifice our health and personal responsibilities for overworking, we give up more than just our time and energy.