Is it illegal for my job to only give us two 10 minute breaks and a 20 minute lunch?

Question

Are my employers breaking some kind of labor laws by not allowing us a half an hour to eat lunch? Also they have us lose 4 minutes on all our breaks because it takes 2 minutes to walk to the break room from anywhere in the factory (2 minutes gone), and since they know this they ring the bell 2 minutes before break ends telling you to leave the break area and take the 2 minute walk back to our station so that at the moment the break SHOULD end we can begin working, which means in actuallity we really only get two 6 minute breaks and a 16 minute lunch! If there isn't a law against this (there should be!) I will leave the issue alone.

Answer 1

I had a similar situation. From what i found out every state has it's regulations for breaks and lunches. I didn't find any federal law requiring breaks and lunches, however if you do get one it is required for the break to be 15 minutes and lunches 30 minutes. You might want to look on OSHA's site, it has a number that you can call and ask questions. here's some sites that can help: http://www.dol.gov/esa/programs/whd/state/state.htm
http://www.osha.gov

Answer 2

It depends how many hours you work in a day. If you work 9 - 5 (an 8-hour day minus 1-hr. lunch), for example, for every four hours, you're entitled to a 15-minute break and a one-hour lunch.

If you are working these hours and your employer is really doing what you say, your employer may be violating labor laws. Call the Department of Labor in your state.

Answer 3

You're lucky - here's some of the jobs my kids have had:

middle daughter - Beyond Bread, one 15 minute break ONLY per day - usually after she was only there one hour.

middle son - (an auto dealership) - one 10-minute break in the morning, no guaranteed lunch, no afternoon break.

youngest son - Subway Sandwiches - no break or lunch whatsoever.

youngest daughter - clerk for lawyer - lunch maybe once a week, if the lawyer wanted her to be at a business lunch - no breaks or daily lunch.

eldest son - Chucky Cheeses - no lunch, no breaks - sometimes worked as long as 10 hours per day and never received overtime (even if he had 70 hours in)

eldest son - overnight stocker - locked in building - could bring bag lunch, but only eat a bite here and there - while working.

Answer 4

I know that in alot of factory's in a third shift where you are there exactly 8 hours it is legal to get 2 10 min and a 20 min lunch because you are paid for a full 8 hour day and so by law in most states that is legal.

Answer 5

I think the law is 15 minute breaks two times a day and at least a half hour lunch. Check with the labor department in your state. If they are in violation, report them.

Answer 6

you clock in at 8 am .....you get a 10 minute morning break.......you get a twenty minute lunch break.....you get a 10 minute afternoon break.............you clock out at 4 pm. you are working seven hours and twenty minutes but getting paid for eight hours. you gotta go you gotta go..............so lets say the bathroom breaks cancel out the walking to the break room. if you are smart enough to brown bag it and not pay vending machine prices 20 minute paid lunch and leaving the job site as soon as possible sounds right. but if the company has 10 employees you do have the right to a union. but what makes sense to you.

Answer 7

Where do you work? Yes, it is unlawful not to give you two 15-min breaks and at least a 30-min lunch if you work more than 7 hours... You should get this out and straighten the situation!!! It is unfair to work like that!

Answer 8

for every 8 hours you work, you are required, by law, to have a (whole) 30 minute break. if your work isnt allowing this, ask them to give you and your coworkers a full break. if they say no, sue (if you can afford it). or quit and put like ads in the paper and stuff telling people not to buy their products or go work there. maybe start a strike with your coworkers against your place of work.

Answer 9

Try to syndicate your factory, with help of others workers...

It is not fair at all....

You are is US ? Try works norms agency, or something like that..

Here in Quebec, syndicates are really strongs, and even the smalest jobs have goods conditions and salary...Not eveywhere, sure, but we are really advanced. It is the only power, against big companies..

Try all that, but after, look for a syndicated job, there's plenty, even for not much educated peoples...

Here in Quebec, government finance formations, and courses, to improve or develop hablilities...

Good luck

Answer 10

Well it depends on the laws in the area you work! I highly doubt your work place would try and get away with breaking the law! Good luck finding out!