How many hours can you work straight?

There is no federal limit to how many hours you can work in a single shift, meaning you can work as many hours as possible during a single shift. Federal regulations state that you must be paid overtime if you work more than 40 hours a week.

While there is no specific set hour limit for how many hours someone can work in a single shift, there are rules for required breaks. For every six hours worked, workers are entitled to a 30-minute break.