Federal & State Laws on Maximum Work Hours: A 2-Week Overview

There are no federal laws that limit the number of hours an employee can work in a two-week period. Some states, however, do have laws that limit the number of hours an employee can work in a two-week period. For example, in California, employers are not allowed to require employees to work more than 8 hours in a day or more than 40 hours in a week. There are some exceptions to these rules, such as for employees who work in certain industries or who have specific job duties.