The answer to the question of whether your boss can force you to work overtime is rather complex. However, the short answer is that, under federal law, it is legal to for your boss to make you work overtime even when you don’t want to.
Your employer can require you to work overtime and can fire you if you refuse, according to the Fair Labor Standards Act or FLSA (29 U.S.C. § 201), the federal overtime law.
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets no limits on how many hours a day or week your employer can require you to work. It requires only that employers pay employees overtime for any hours over 40 that the employee works in a week. However, some state laws give employees more rights than the FLSA does, so check with your state department of employment or labor to be sure.
David Payab, Esq. from The Law Offices of Payab & Associates can be reached @ (818) 918-5522 or by visiting http://payablaw.com/