Should my full time employee get a paid lunch hour?

Question

I have a full time staff person who currently I give a paid lunch hour. I added this cost up and its $2500 per year I am paying out for non work activity. I want to eliminate this, but want to be fair. I am willing to have her work 8:30-5:30 to avoid a lesser paycheck. I am curious as to what others receive as far as paid or unpaid lunches through their employers as well.

Answer 1

Is the position production or overhead? Is this employee exempt or non exempt? If exempt, I'd say allow for the 1hr lunch break. Our company is flexible with lunch for salaried, exempt employees. As long as duties are being completed, and projects done on schedule, why allow for the possibility of ill will? She may leave, then you'd have the turnover costs...which is going to total more than $2500 at first.

How much do you value this employee? Everyone can be replaced, but if you have a good employee already, why risk the loss?

I'd be upset if we lost the flexible lunch hr considering the unpaid overtime I put in at my own will. If lunch was cut to 30 min, I'd be out the door on time. There's other places to work too.

Is this your own company? How much overall will that $2500 hurt your EBIT?

If an hourly, non-exempt position, that's really you're call. If $2500 represents a significant amount to your bottom line, and your margins aren't growing because of increasing revenues....take it away, but realize you may lose the employee.

You can talk to her first about it too, and guage her reaction (if you value her - if she's not that great, just take it away). Everything's a trade-off. Most hourly employee's don't get paid lunches. Some places offer 1hr, some only 30min.

Realize that you are taking wages/benefits away too. That could be a big demotivator. I'd explain your reasons carefully. Explain you're facing increasing cost pressures, and to stay competitive you must take this measure....blah blah blah....

Answer 2

Most businesses now do not pay for lunch for hourly. The employees actually have a 9 hour day, with one hour in the middle being a non-paid lunch. So, they would start at 8:00, work until 12:00, leave for lunch, come back at 1:00 and work till 5:00 in a standard workday. Some companies require a salaried employee to work a 9 hour day so they feel they are getting 8 hours of work from them. I personally work from 9-5:30, with an unpaid 30 minute lunch.

Federal law requires a 30 minute lunch for an 8 hour workday, so if you don't want to pay for it, you would be required to have them come in 30 minutes before or work 30 minutes after to make the 8 hour workday.

Answer 3

No way... she's from Northern California or is this the state that she works in. I believe in California it is mandatory to break for lunch at least 30 minutes or more and companies are required to give two, 15 minute breaks in an 8 hour work day. It is against the law to deny an employee a lunch break for every 8 hours worked.. She needs to report it immediately. Does the company she work for have an HR department? Has she tried to verbally or in writing, report these incidents? When she became an employee was there a clause in there in which she would be prohibited to find legal representation outside of the company ( I think it's called the arbitration clause). California has strict laws that prohibit any company from doing any of this. Tape recording is deemed inadmissible only if there was a specific rule put forth by the employer prohibiting this and/or I believe it depends on the situation. Your mother in law needs to report these incidents to the labor board as soon as possible and if she gets fired she will need to inform the unemployment agency as well (that's only if it gets that far) the labor board will direct her as to what she can do. Tell her if she decides to do this that she should follow through with them as well... sometimes you case can fall through the cracks. Good luck and I'm sorry to hear about that.

Answer 4

It depends on the laws of your state. In Washington state, where I live, an employer has to give an employee working more than a 4 hour day a 30-minute (unpaid) "lunch" and two 10-minute (paid) breaks.

However, I did once have an employer who gave us employees a 30-minute paid lunch in lieu of the 2 ten-minute breaks. So, I guess that the specific arrangement is negotiable between you and your staff, provided that the state's guidelines are also followed.

Answer 5

State laws can be different, but here's what the feds think:
Federal law does not require lunch or coffee breaks. However, when employers do offer short breaks (usually lasting about 5 to 20 minutes), federal law considers the breaks work-time that must be paid. Unauthorized extensions of authorized work breaks need not be counted as hours worked when the employer has expressly and unambiguously communicated to the employee that the authorized break may only last for a specific length of time, that any extension of the break is contrary to the employer's rules, and any extension of the break will be punished.

Bona fide meal periods (typically lasting at least 30 minutes), serve a different purpose than coffee or snack breaks and, thus, are not work time and are not compensable.

Answer 6

As a business owner, you should check the laws for reducing payment for this type of things. If you want the employees to get accustomed to pay for their food, you could start by paying half the lunch hour.
Remember that this time for luch they are not producing for you... employees are the business owners' instrument to achieve what their dream company should be.
And the way the economy is, I'm sure they prefer to have a job that is confortable and with a regular paycheck, than go looking for a new one just because of the extra 20- hours a month for lunch.

Answer 7

30 minutes unpaid. Have to time out for lunch, and 30 minutes later time back in. and 2 -15 minutes paid break a day for an 8 hour shift.

Answer 8

It is my understanding that in an 8 1/2 hour work day you are entitled to a 30 minute lunch and 2 15 minute breaks by law.

Not to mention, this person is making 10 bucks an hour. Give the person a fringe benefit!

Answer 9

California does not require PAID meal breaks. However, you are required to provide a least 1/2 hour for every work period of more than 5 hours. During the meal break the employee must be relieved of all duty (e.g. can't work thru meals , and is free to leave the premises.)

I have worked in Louisiana, Texas and California and have never had a PAID meal break.

However, note: In California, if you take an on-duty meal break it has to be paid, must be agreed to in writing by employee and employer.

Hope this helps.

Answer 10

I work 8 to 5, with an unpaid lunch hour. A paid lunch hour? Never heard of such a thing. You can't work her more than 8 hours a day though unless you pay her overtime.