Do you think there needs to be tighter restrictions on the amount of hours you can work in a day?

Question

Here in Indiana, the restriction is 16 hours (I think). My company won't allow me to work over 16 hours so I'm assuming it's the law otherwise they'd take full advtange, lol. Anyways... do you think this is right? And/or safe? Do you believe the amount of hours someone can legally work in a day be reduced to maybe 10 or 12 hours instead of 16? Just curious - I'm working a 16 right now because of low staffing and I believe I read somewhere once that the last 4 hours of a nursing shift (hour 8 to hour 12, because we work 12 hours) is when the most medical errors are made. It's a threat to patient safety and I can't imagine most people staying focused for that long (I'm only 22 and even I have a hard time staying awake and focused). Opinions?!

Answer

I said no but I think it should depend on what you do for your job. I had two friends work a 30 hour shift after getting snowed in at Walmart. They chose to do it and just took 30 minutes-hour for a break every 6 hours. But I wouldn't want an overtired nurse taking blood or anything..

Answer

I think overtime should be more on a volunteer basis. I've been working 60 hour weeks for the past two months as a server who has to wear heals to work and my whole body is basically broken right now. All I do is work, play with my ferret, sleep. The checks are great but honestly it's getting to me physically and mentally. Also I'm so exhausted my house suffers. It's just an absolute mess and I have no energy to pick up. But they're going to continue putting too many girls on every night and not hiring anyone so we can work normal hours so I just have to tough it out. I don't mind overtime but I want to be able to choose.

Answer

For the last month I've been working 10-12 hr shifts 7 days a week at my job at the coop and then go home and work for my parents on the farm for another 4-6 hrs a day. I'll do this for 2-3 months in the fall and 2-3 months in the spring. It's just part of having a job in the agriculture industry.

Answer

I live in Indiana and I couldn't find anything saying you can't work maximum amount of hours. I did read that they can make you work doubles with little to no time in between shifts though.

Answer

My in-laws work in the hospital and I know working that many hours in a day will take its toll on you both physically and mentally. I work in a social service field and there are times when I'm working 9-10 hours per day not including commute to and fro, &  family responsibilities just to return back to work on time or earlier cuz you can't remember if you did your report correctly or at all. 😖😅

Answer

Doctors do 24 hour on call shifts...

Answer

I don't think anyone should work over 12 hours ESPECIALLY not medical staff. We expect too much from doctors, nurses, lab techs, etc. 
Hospitals are historically poorly staff and often badly operated. It's to the detriment to patient health and safety.
I worked with a nurse did three 16 hour shifts in a row then worked a 12. All of this was on nightshift. After her last shift she fell asleep while driving because she was so exhausted.
She sustained a serious head injury that took a lot of time, money, and effort to recover from. Even after all of that she was never the same and never able to return to nursing.

Answer

In the EU they limited the number of hours that junior doctors could work because it was really getting out of hand and there were concerns over patient safety. As a result they were forced to come in off the clock to get their training done and to keep the hospitals running but they didn't get paid. While well intentioned, these kinds of policies can backfire. If a certain industry is allowing heir employees too many hours on the record then more migrants from the profession should be granted visas. If companies are taking advantage of employees by expecting them to stay behind without overtime then laws should be passed requiring them to pay anyone inside the building.

Answer

I'm a pharmacist and I wouldn't do it. If you make a mistake and they get sued, they're blaming you. If you've got a professional license, it puts your license in jeopardy. Our licenses are our bread and butter ....how we support ourselves and our family. I see in the newsletters all the time about some pharmacist working long hours in a busy pharmacy making a mistake and not just losing their license but actually killing someone. Can you imagine how that would make their family feel or how you'll feel knowing you're responsible for it?  That's stress I don't need.

Do you think there needs to be tighter restrictions on the amount of hours you can work in a day?

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