Does my employer have to give me meal breaks?
California employers must provide meal breaks to non-exempt employees who work a certain number of hours per day. Employees are entitled to a 30-minute meal period after working five hours in a single day.
Employees with shifts longer than 10 hours have the right to take a second uninterrupted 30-minute meal break. If the first meal period was not waived, workers might choose to waive the second one if the workday is under 12 hours.
Unlike rest breaks, meal periods are unpaid as they do not count among the hours worked. Meal periods must be uninterrupted, which means employees should be relieved of all work duties during that time. California workers are permitted to leave the workplace during their meal periods.
Other Unpaid Wage & Overtime FAQs:
- Am I entitled to rest breaks?
- Are employers required to pay mileage reimbursements?
- Are employers required to reimburse employees for work expenses?
- Can my employer fire me for complaining about unpaid wages?
- Does my employer have to give me meal breaks?
- How long do I have to file a claim for unpaid overtime?
- How long does a wage claim take in East Bay, California?
- How much do you get paid for overtime in California?
- Is wage theft a crime in California?
- My employer deducted tips from my paycheck. Is this legal?
- My employer is not paying me correctly; what can I do in California?
- Should I be paid for off-the-clock work?
- What should I do if my employer doesn’t pay me the overtime wages I am owed?
- What should I do if my employer is not paying me my wages on time?
- What types of damages can I recover in a claim for unpaid wages?
- When does my employer have to pay me my final wages upon termination or resignation?
- When must commissions be paid in California?
- Why do I need a lawyer for my unpaid wages claim?
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My parents were heavily involved in community organizing. Seeing neighbors and friends’ parents struggle in the workplace gave me a sense of purpose that I wanted to help others. Many employees feel helpless and powerless in the workplace, and helping them vindicate their rights is the right thing to do.
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