how many hours do you have to work to get a free meal?
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An employee must not work for more than five hours in a row without getting a 30-minute eating period (meal break) free from work. However, if the employer and employee agree, the eating period can be split into two eating periods within every five consecutive hours. Together these must total at least 30 minutes.
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What are the requirements for meal and rest breaks? Most state laws provide for a break of 30 to 60 minutes after four to five hours of work. In practice, it is typical to provide a one-hour lunch break in an eight-hour day.
708596
Employers are not required to pay for a meal break if an employee is free from all duties for their entire break. Employees can only be required to remain on the premises or work site during their meal period if they are completely free from work duties. Unpaid meal breaks are not considered “hours worked.”
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Illinois law requires employers to permit employees who are to work 7½ continuous hours or more to take a meal period of at least 20 minutes. The meal period may be unpaid and it must be given to an employee no later than 5 hours after beginning work.
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Under New Hampshire labor laws, employers cannot require that an employee work more than five (5) consecutive hours without granting a thirty (30) minute lunch or eating period. If the employer cannot allow thirty (30) minutes, the employee must be paid if they are eating and working at the same time.
1336993
Your California employer does not have to pay you for a meal break. Although California requires employers to provide a meal break (half an hour, if the employee works at least six hours), the break can be unpaid. ... If an employer requires employees to remain on-site during lunch, that time also must be paid.
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Utah law requires that employees under 18 years of age must be given an uninterrupted, unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes if they have worked five hours or more continuously. A paid rest break of ten minutes must also be given for each four hours a minor has worked.
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Employees must be allowed a meal period when they work more than five hours in a shift. A meal period must be at least 30 minutes long and start between the second and fifth hour of the shift.
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Kansas Meal Break Law Like federal law, Kansas law doesn't require employers to provide any breaks. However, an employer who chooses to provide a meal break of less than 30 minutes must pay the employee for that time. Like most states, Kansas doesn't require employers to provide rest breaks, paid or otherwise.
175711
Employers are not required to provide coffee breaks. A 30-minute unpaid meal break must be provided when an employee works more than five hours in a row. The employee must be paid for the meal break if they're required to work (or be available to work) during their meal break.
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Essentially, a break of 30 minutes or more constitutes a lunch break, and federal and state law do not require employers to compensate employees for this time when employees are not engaged in work while eating. If an employer provides a break shorter than 30 minutes, it must be paid.
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Meal breaks—generally lasting 30 minutes or more—may be unpaid. In other words, employers may require workers to clock out during meal breaks. As such, unpaid meal breaks do not count toward total hours for overtime requirements.
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Employees on 12-hour shifts are entitled to a second 30-minute meal period. They may voluntarily waive their right to one of their two meal periods in writing only. Because the law requires a mutual agreement, an employer cannot require an employee to waive the right to a meal period.
217160
WAC 296-126-092 requires employers to provide a 30-minute meal break to non-exempt employees for every five hours of work, between the second and fifth working hour. Meal breaks generally may be unpaid if employees are relieved of all duties for the entire period.
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State law requires employers to provide employees with restroom time and sufficient time to eat a meal. If the break is less than 20 minutes in duration, it must be counted as hours worked.
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Employers must give meal breaks to employees to ensure they do not work more than 5 consecutive hours without an opportunity for a break. There is no requirement to pay an employee for this meal break unless they perform work during the meal break, or are available to perform work as outlined in subsection (2).
591952
Minimum Length of Meal Period Required under State Law for Adult Employees in Private Sector 1. ½ hour, if work is for more than 5 hours per day, except when workday will be completed in 6 hours or less and there is mutual employer/employee consent to waive meal period.