How many hours can supervisors be forced to work?

I am a college student who has been working for a company during summers and holidays for about four years. About five weeks ago my manager quit her job. With her departure I found myself running the store. I worked, on several occasions, over ten hours a day without a chance to take a lunch break or to relieve myself. The inability to relieve myself, in the five week period, caused me to become ill. Are there any laws against this kind of abuse? Could I take action against the company? Thank You.

Rita Risser's response:

California law requires employees to receive a ten-minute break every 4 hours and a half-hour unpaid meal period if you work 5 hours a day. You are also entitled to overtime for over 8 hours a day (you are not a "manager" by law). Most states have similar laws. U. S. law does NOT have provisions for breaks or meals. In California, you can file a claim with the Labor Commission.

In any state, you may be able to file a workers compensation claim for your illness.

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