Meal periods - California Department of Industrial Relations In the case of Murphy v Cole, the California Supreme Court held that the remedy for meal and rest period violations of "one additional hour of pay" under Labor Code section 226 7 is a wage subject to a three-year statute of limitations Accordingly, a claim must be filed within three (3) years of the alleged meal period violation
California Meal Break Rest Break Law (2025) – Quick Calculator . . . If your employer is denying you meal breaks and rest breaks, you would be entitled to receive a penalty of 1 hour wages per day you were denied any rest breaks, and an additional penalty of 1 hour wages per day you were denied any meal breaks (for a maximum penalty of up to 2 hours wages per day)
Understanding California Meal and Rest Break Laws 2025 Failure to provide adequate breaks may lead to penalties Employees can report any violations to the California Labor Commissioner’s Office to resolve issues Under California law, if employees work more than five hours, they are entitled to a 30-minute meal break
Meal and Rest Breaks in California - California Chamber of Commerce On-duty meal periods have been upheld only in very limited circumstances Employers must authorize and permit uninterrupted rest breaks for all nonexempt employees whose total daily work time is at least 3 5 hours These mandatory rest breaks must be offered at 10 minutes for every four hours worked, or "major fraction" thereof
California Work Break Laws Explained (2025 Update) Meal breaks must be uninterrupted and off-duty—you must be completely relieved of work responsibilities Meal breaks must start before the end of the 5th hour (for the first meal break) and before the end of the 10th hour (for the second) You and your employer may agree to waive: The first meal break if your shift is 6 hours or less
Meal Penalties in California: What Employers Need to Know When you break the California meal law, you’ll have to pay the meal break penalty Before you can understand the punishment and how to avoid it, you need to know all the rules involved in breaking the meal period law in California
California Meal and Rest Break Laws: Compliance and Penalties California’s meal break requirements are governed by the Labor Code and the Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Orders Employers must provide a 30-minute meal break to employees working more than five hours in a day This break must be uninterrupted, and the employee relieved of all duties
2025 California Lunch Break Laws: A Comprehensive Guide - Setyan Law Employers who violate the California lunch break law may face penalties and be held liable for damages The penalties include paying one hour’s wages for each day a rest break is not given and an additional hour’s wages for each day a meal break is not given
Meal Period Violations - California Labor Employment Law So as not to incur meal period violations, under California (wage and hour) labor law, employers are required to provide all non-exempt employees a thirty minute unpaid meal break per eight hour shift, and provide a second thirty minute meal break if the employee works more than ten hours
Your Right to Breaks at Work: Understanding California’s Meal and Rest . . . California has some of the most employee-friendly labor laws in the country—especially when it comes to meal and rest breaks In 2025, these protections remain as strong as ever, ensuring that hourly and certain salaried employees are not overworked without proper downtime If you live and work in California, knowing your rights can help you recognize when your employer is crossing the line