What is a fair amount of time for lunch/breaks to offer your employees?

[lucianne]

I run a small business and only have part-time employees. We are currently hiring and I'd like to update our employee handbook and some of our policies. Our employees work out of our physical workshop and they do some physical labor but its nothing too exhausting (it's a pet bakery so it involves anything from making treats, packing treats, dishes, deep cleaning, etc). You are always doing something though; it's definitely not a retail job where you can sit and twiddle your thumbs while waiting for a customer to walk in.

What do you think is a fair amount of time to offer for lunch and breaks? This is what I'm thinking:

• 4 hours or less shifts: 30 minutes
• 5-7 hour shifts: 45 minutes
• 8 hour shifts: 1 hour

What’s interesting is if you do percentages, 1 hour is 12.5% of an 8 hour shift. 12.5% is then 45 minutes of a 6 hour shift and 30 minutes of a 4 hour shift! So you can keep the mathematical consistency there!

These are PAID breaks. We wouldn’t require them if the employee wants to just keep working but they are scheduled for specific hours so they can’t forego a break to leave early. We have checked local laws.

That timing can be divided up so for example, for an 8 hour shift you can take a 30 minute lunch and then two 15 minute breaks. So far, I like this plan. Should the shifts be grouped as 5-6 hours and 7-8 hours instead of how it's listed above? It seems a little cleaner that way but something about offering an entire hour for a 7 hour shift doesn't feel quite right. That's a lot of time! But please let me know your thoughts. I want to do what is right and fair for both employee and my business. Thanks!

 

[matt123]

@lucianne Before you dive too far down this thought exercise, make sure you understand what the laws are in your particular state. Some states have very strict requirements for breaks, others don't. But know what your state requires.

 

[lucianne]

@matt123 Thabks! I do know that my state doesn’t require any breaks for workers over 16. Kind of crazy!

 

[kaylafaith77]

@lucianne It should be set in your local employment laws on what is required. I’d go by that.

 

[sixpointer]

@kaylafaith77 To add: Be especially mindful of laws for employees who are minors. Those are especially strict and breaking them can result in large fines.

I'd also suggest away from fractionated breaks. Lunch is ideally scheduled either by their shift or while the shop is closed for lunch. Allowing fractionated breaks or breaks at the employees' whims can be more difficult to track for payroll purposes or leave you in a bind if multiple employees break when there's a flood of customers.

At a former part-time job, one coworker refused to take his lunch breaks but the manager insisted breaks were in order of whomever clocked in first. If you were scheduled after said coworker, you either didn't get a lunch break too or could only break after he clocked out, which could potentially be in the last hour of your shift. The business faced some fines because employees weren't getting their mandated breaks. Manager told everyone needed to take their breaks; Coworker still didn't follow the break schedule and put his off until the last hour of his shift, which was normally when the business was predictably much busier. Manager faced either more fines by having employees skip their breaks, or shorting the business of staff during peak hours. It's a very specific example of poor management and am employee with either a power play problem, heightened sense of self-importance, or something - but I think it helps show how lack of structure can potentially hurt everyone.

 

[jenny50]

@lucianne This is the one I use in a warehouse pick/pack setting (so very different than an office):

XYZ provides full and part time employees with rest breaks and lunch breaks to ensure you are able to remain productive at work. We provide three kinds of breaks; minor breaks, rest breaks, lunch breaks.

Minor Breaks

• Minor breaks such as use of the bathroom, drinking of a beverage, a quick telephone check, or a stopped work conversation are allowed throughout the day.

• Minor breaks are typically 1-3min. depending on activity, yet always taken as promptly as possible according to the activity.

• Minor breaks are at the discretion of the employee.

• Minor breaks do not have a set minimum or maximum.

• Chronic over usage of minor breaks is considered taking advantage of the flexibility they allow.

Rest Breaks

• Rest breaks are 15 minutes long.

• Rest breaks are offered 2 times a day for full time employees who work 6 hours or more daily.

• Rest breaks are offered 1 time a day for part time employees who work 5 hours or less daily.

• Rest breaks are on the clock.

• Rest breaks can be taken any time after your first 2 hours on the job.

• Rest break must end before 2:30pm.

• Employees may leave the building and property during their rest break.

Lunch Breaks

• Lunch break is 30 minutes long.

• Lunch break is offered to employees that work 6 or more hours a day.

• Lunch break is on the clock.

• Lunch break can be taken any time after the first 2 hours on the job.

• Lunch break must end before 2:30pm.

• Employees may leave the building and property during their lunch break.

• Rest and lunch breaks may be combined into 1 long break period. Please notify your supervisor in this instance.

Emergency Breaks

There are times when an employee has an emergency, such as when they feel ill, or have to take an urgent phone call. Speak with your supervisor in these situations so that your emergency can be accommodated.

 

[jenib]

@lucianne Check your local laws. Some states/counties are very strict about breaks and lunches.

I currently work at target, in California. We are required to have 2 15s and a 45 min lunch break. This for any shift that is more than 6hrs. We have to have a lunch before our 5th hour. So a 4hr 45 mins shift, gets 1 break while a 6 hr shift has to have 2 breaks and a lunch (which is crazy to me).

 

[121zla]

@lucianne Lots of folks here seem to think there are rules in most places.

I'm in Michigan and the only rules here apply to minors and then default to the federal guidelines, which only dictate whether a break can be unpaid (if 30 min or more) or paid if 20 min or less.

Mississippi, Missouri, and Montana for instance have no rules at all apart from that federal paid/unpaid guideline if you chose to give breaks at all.

https://workforce.com/news/a-snack-sized-guide-to-lunch-break-laws

A few States have a bunch of rules, but most have very few. And if you are an exempt employee of course there are no rules. Also many states do not have the same rules if you have fewer than 50 employees. So certainly comply with your State's laws, but there may not be any.

I think what you have laid-out seems reasonable for what it's worth. I'm a small business accountant and this seems decent and typical. Good luck.

 

[lucianne]

@121zla Thanks! This has been the most helpful reply so far. I checked our laws and like you said it’s barely anything. Basically just anyone under 16 years are required to get at least 20 minutes for a break.

 

[artaterxes]

@lucianne Far better than my current job, I work between 10-12 hour shifts with either a half an hour to an hour unpaid breaks, if it complies with employment law it sounds like a good deal to me.

 

[lucianne]

@artaterxes Thanks! I'm sorry that your breaks are so minimal! That's a long time to work with very little break time, especially unpaid?!

 

[artaterxes]

@lucianne I don’t mind it a ton, sometimes we get unofficial little breaks, and I love my boss and coworkers so it’s really fine, but from my perspective your breaks sound awesome.

 

[andyprior]

@lucianne They get an hour lunch in prison.

 

[yvonneceleste]

@lucianne Assuming these are unpaid I wouldn't offer anything for a 4 or less hour shift. 1 hour over the 4 hour threshold. We don't have part time but we offer a 1 hour unpaid lunch and 2 - 15 minute paid breaks a day. 1 in the am and one in the pm.

 

[paulrhys]

@yvonneceleste An hour unpaid lunch seems like such a long time. Do you allow them to skip lunch, or take a shorter lunch and leave earlier? Or do you require a 9 hour day (8 hours working, 1 hour unpaid lunch)? I would hate to be forced to take an hour in the middle of the day when I rarely even eat lunch.

(I’m not saying you do this, but I know some employers do)

 

[yvonneceleste]

@paulrhys We are open to the public 9 hours so we all have a 9-6 9 hour day. Yes we do force the mandatory lunch. Of course exceptions are made to accommodate Dr appointments etc.

 

[mozarella]

@lucianne As a fellow owner, I don’t recommend allowing for “fractionalizing” break time or lunches. I previously allowed this and people took advantage by endlessly breaking up 5 minutes here, 15 minutes there, until it became exhausting. Allow for 1 undivided duration that they must take every day for lunch if they’re working a full day.

 

[613jono]

@lucianne do they have a place to eat then 30 minutes if not 45 minutes

 

[jjoel10]

@lucianne

1. Like others said, check to see what the local requirements would be.
   
2. Paid or unpaid?
3. (It’s been well over a decade that I’ve been on the worker side) but 4 hours is so short, I think 15 min is adequate. No one is making a meal, just a quick smoke/chill/whatever and back to work. The shift would be broken into 2 hour chunks that way.
   
   6+ you’re getting into a meal territory, so 45-1H seems right.

 

[amos_6eight]

@lucianne Start with the law and go from there. You can give more time, but not less time.