CALIFORNIA MEAL BREAK LAWS

 You are entitled to a paid meal break! Let an employment attorney in California explain you your rights!

Apparently, we spend more than half of our active day at work places and we tend to develop a harmonious atmosphere as colleagues become family too. This sometimes prevents us from enjoying our fundamental rights. You might have observed such things with your meal breaks. You might have sacrificed many of your meal breaks on a working spree as your boss might have wanted you to finish a job under a deadline. Or he/she can ask you to attend a meeting in the break time which you cannot deny. Did you know that your lunch break laws are being violated by doing so? It is important that you enjoy the privileges you are entitled to and should not be deprived of your employment amenities as per the California labor laws. 

Employee rights with respect to work during meal and rest breaks in California: 

  • Employees are entitled to 30 minutes meal break if they work for more than 5 hours

  • They get extra 30 minutes break if they work for more than 10 hours

  • If they work no more than 6 hours in a day, the employer can waive the break but only with the employee’s consent

  • If the employee is set free from all the job duties and is allowed to leave the work place, the employee is not paid for meal breaks

  • If an employee is requested by the employer to stay back for a job during a meal break, the employer is ought to pay the employee for the break time too that too with the employee’s consent. This happens only when the nature of work demands an employee’s presence

  • If the employee volunteers to work during the meal break or is allowed to work through the break time, he/she is entitled to pay

  • California work break laws ensure that the employees can claim for pay if they work during meal breaks and are not compensated for them

When an employer refuses to pay for the meal and rest breaks violating the California work break laws, employees can consult If an employment lawyer in California to consider the options of filing a lawsuit against the employer.