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Question: How many breaks at work are required by law?

Answer: State Laws usually mandate when employers must give you "rest periods" or breaks. How much and when depends mostly on the discretion of the employer, but there are some legal protections.

There is no federal law that gives you meal or rest breaks. However, states sometimes have labor laws which mandate time off for meals (like a lunch break) or for a rest break (perhaps a mid-afternoon break). Further, labor unions oftentimes have specific contracts that explicitly mandate time for breaks. Whether or not you can get paid during breaks depends on your employer and on the same state labor laws.


Comments
61 thru 65 of 92 comments
On 12/29/03
Ladonna from VA said:
I wanted to know the law on breaks also. If I work a 4 hour, 6 hour, and a 8 hour shift how many breaks is required by law and does it range from.
On 12/03/03
Mark from AZ said:
Far as I have found, Arizona has no law/regulation madating either breaks or meals (lunch). There are no Federal regs on this either. Each state can impliment their own regs on breaks/meals like California did. Unless you have a contract with your employer or a labor union contract that specifies breaks/meal periods one is out of luck. Contact your state legislators and let them know a new law providing for breaks/meal periods is needed or join a union.
On 11/29/03
maria gonzales from OH said:
are you required two ten minute breaks daily? if so what can i do if my job isnt providing me with these breaks?
On 11/18/03
athena from Othe said:
I work in the UK, but this is the only website i could find to help me out. I need to know how long of a break i am entitled to whilst working for 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours and 9 hours. It is important that i find this information as i am being cheated at work. Please help me out by sending me a page containing the law allowence for it. Thank you so much!
On 11/12/03
Scott from AZ said:
Rob from Ohio, check the employee handbook for walgreens. Most major corporations specify breaks and lunches. If it is in the handbook, then that usually becomes "law" because the handbook is assumed to be a "contract" between employer and employee. Also if you check it and find out that this is the case, they will have to get rid of the write up they did on you and then if they write you up in the future they will have to be very careful that this isn't because of "retaliation". Retaliation against an employee usually means a huge lawsuit though you'd have to be able to prove it.
61 thru 65 of 92 comments



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