An additional 20-minute meal break must be permitted if working a 12-hour shift or longer. If an employee works through a meal break, they must be paid.Illinois employers must provide a meal break to employees who work at least seven and a half continuous hours. This break must be at least 20 minutes long. For every 7.5 hours worked, Illinois state law allows one meal break to be taken no later than 5 hours from the start of the shift. In Illinois, employees are entitled to a 10minute paid rest break for every 4 hours of work they complete. In most cases, employers don't have to pay for your lunch hour. Unpaid meal periods don't count toward the 40 hours that trigger overtime. Illinois law doesn't require employers to give their employees 30-minute meal breaks. Workers have a right to at least a 30minute meal break or each 6 hours worked in a calendar day.