Can an employer make you stay late without notice?

Question

Zippia Team · Accepted Answer

Yes, an employer can make you stay late or work overtime without notice. Both federal and state laws allow employers to require this of their employees with one exception.

Although often inconvenient, your employer is within their rights to require that you stay late or work overtime without notice. Employees that have already met their hourly commitment for the day or week must be paid a minimum of 1.5 times their normal hourly rate. Employers are not required to pay time and a half to part-time employees working less than an eight-hour day or 40-hour work week.

The exception to this rule is those employees with an employment contract or bargaining agreement that covers involuntary overtime. In such cases, requiring employees to work may breach an agreed-upon contract and be grounds for filing a grievance with your union.