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Does My Union Contract Control My Shift Swap?

Use the free tool — Shift Swap Board

Short answer

If you belong to a union, your collective bargaining agreement (CBA) controls how shift swaps work — not this page, not an app. The contract's scheduling and seniority articles decide who can swap, how far in advance, and who has to approve it. Ask your steward before you count on any swap.

What federal and Florida law actually cover

Federal law sets one hard rule: under the FLSA, hours over 40 in a single workweek are paid at 1.5×, no matter how the schedule got that way. A swap that moves a shift across the week line can create or remove overtime for either person. Florida follows this same 40-hour rule and has no separate daily-overtime law and no state law requiring rest between shifts for adult workers.

• FLSA overtime, 29 U.S.C. § 207 — 1.5× pay for hours over 40 in a workweek
• Florida state labor law — follows the federal 40-hour rule; no daily-OT or adult rest-between-shifts statute

Where your contract comes in

Nothing here tells you what your CBA requires. Contracts commonly set an approval window, whether the swap partner must hold the same classification or license, and how seniority affects who gets first pick. None of that is fixed by Florida or federal law — it comes from your contract. Ask your steward:

• Does the contract set an approval deadline for swaps?
• Does the swap partner need the same classification or license?
• Does seniority or a posted schedule rule affect this swap?

If either of you is under 18

Florida limits hours and late shifts for workers under 18, and a swap can break those rules. If you or the person taking your shift is under 18, check this before planning a late-night swap.

• Fla. Stat. 450.081 — child labor

Never do this

Don't swap without telling your manager, work off the clock to cover a shift, or misreport hours to make a swap look clean. That creates its own pay and disciplinary problems, separate from your contract.

What to do next

The free tool reads the shift, hours, and any rules you type in — including anything from your contract — and writes out a swap request plus an overtime check based only on what you entered. If you didn't mention a CBA, it lists the usual questions to ask your steward instead of guessing. This is not legal advice. Confirm with your steward or manager before you count on any swap. For pay questions, call the U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division at 1-866-487-9243, in English or Spanish.

Shift Swap Board writes and checks a swap request in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not legal advice. Your employer's policy and your union contract control. Pay questions: U.S. DOL Wage and Hour Division, 1-866-487-9243. Nothing you paste is stored.