The purpose of this petition is to protect all employees from big corporations; to limit the extent to which an employer can require its employees to work outside of their usual schedule. I’m here to propose a legal limitation of 10% (4 hours) mandated overtime, calculated from a standard workweek of 40 hours maximum, for a duration not to exceed 4 weeks at a time. The time in between needs to be equal to or greater than the days/weeks worked in excess. This legislation would need to be equally enforceable for both hourly and salaried positions.

This is not to be confused with voluntary overtime. An employer may ask for volunteers wanting to work extra hours beyond this proposed legislation but not to mandate and or reprimand / terminate those who choose not to work. The methods for seeking volunteers needs to be transparent and logged into a permanent record for both the employers and employees, allowing potential monitoring and enforcement of this new legislation and to protect employers / employees from false accusations. For employers who violate this proposed legislation, a large enough penalty will need to be enforced. One greater than those that are for unpaid overtime, which usually amount to nothing more than a “wrist slap” for the at-fault business.

This petition stems from many years of participating and watching others forcibly working additional days and extra hours each week relentlessly, for months and years at a time, regardless of prior personal obligations or the like. Employers are commonly removing the human aspect of the employee, and the needs for that employee. The need for a life outside of the four walls that they call work is vitally important to each and every one of us.

In todays global e-commerce, everything has become cut throat. Leading to increased workloads and inevitably more stress while at work and at home. This additional stress is taxing families of their spare time and equally important, our healthcare system. High levels of stress can lead to a multitude of severe acute or chronic health issues.

With this legislation, workers will be protected from predatory employers who see employees time as nothing more than potential earnings. Limiting an employers’ access to their employee’s spare time while allowing the employee to make the best decision for him/herself in terms of what they want to do with their time.