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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
81 thru 85 of 92 comments
On 01/27/03
soli from TX said:
What if I do not want to take a break at all? Does my employer have the right to deduct 30 minutes from my daily work time even though I have worked for it?
On 01/10/03
melinda from CT said:
We have a staff of 5 in a non-profit organization. The work week is 37 hours. Is it by Law to take a lunch break? If so, how long and does the employer pay for this break. Right now we work from 9 to 4 and none of us take lunch.
On 01/09/03
AMBC from VA said:
I totally know where you are coming from. I have worked 7 and a half hour shifts with no break and when I do get one it is ten minutes for me to eat my dinner. I am also a minor and am investigating the child labor laws in my state. If I do find something that I can use to convict the company with, I will. Even my mother has questioned whether my employer was correct in doing this.
On 12/24/02
jp from FL said:
lucky you,, i get docked 30min a day for lunch and cant take a lunch at all..
On 09/08/02
ron from AZ said:
where do you look to find out if your state has laws to protect you at your work place. Shouldn't it be easy to find laws to protect ourself.What is the minium ,by state law,that my employer needs to give me at my work place.
81 thru 85 of 92 comments



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