California Meal Break Lawyers

Under California law, non-exempt employees who work for more than 5 hours in a workday are entitled to an unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes.

If an employer does not provide the required meal break or pressures employees to work through their meal breaks, they are in violation of the law.

Only in specific situations where the nature of the work prevents employees from taking breaks, employers may provide compensation in lieu of breaks. However, it must be clearly communicated, and employees must agree to it voluntarily.

Common ways that employers fail to provide legally adequate meal breaks are:

• Inadequate Break Times: Scheduling short breaks that do not meet the required duration may constitute a violation.

• Waiver Violations: While some employees can voluntarily waive their meal breaks under certain conditions, employers cannot coerce or force employees to do so.

• Automatic Deductions: Employers cannot automatically deduct time for meal breaks without ensuring that the employees genuinely took uninterrupted breaks.

• Working During Breaks: If employees are required to perform any work duties during their meal breaks or remain on-call, they must be compensated for that time, and it does not count as a proper break.

• Non-Compliant Company Policies: Company policies that discourage or inhibit employees from taking breaks can lead to violations.

If you believe you are not being paid properly, it is important that you speak with an attorney as soon as you can. Contact us or Call us at (626) 432-5422 for a free consultation.