What happens when you're forced to work and average of 55+ hrs. a week and only get paid for 40hrs?

Are you a salaried or hourly employee?

Salary

It would depend on the specific terms of your written contract of employment (if any), but generally a salary means that you are employed by the week or month, not by the hour. Thus your saying that you "only get paid for 40hrs" is incorrect. You are getting paid for a week's work.

Most salary people work 50 to 70 hours a week, part of the issue of being on salary