If you have worked five hours or more, your workplace is required to give you a 30-minute meal break. Your meal break should begin sometime before the last hour of your shift. It is not required for you to take this meal break. If you have worked less than 6 hours in a day, you can agree to forego your meal break.
Basic requirement for meal break: An employee working for at least 5 hours in a single shift but less than 6 hours is entitled to one meal break lasting at least 30 minutes. Any employee working for more than 10 hours in a single shift is entitled to take 2 meal breaks comprising 30 minutes each.
Exempt employees may be entitled to unpaid meal breaks, but most of them are not eligible for rest breaks. The most significant category of California exempt workers is white-collar exempt workers. They include executive, administrative, and professional employees.
A. Under California law (IWC Orders and Labor Code Section 512), employees must be provided with no less than a thirty-minute meal period when the work period is more than five hours (more than six hours for employees in the motion picture industry covered by IWC Order 12-2001).
Meal and Break Obligations In California. You cannot employ someone for more than five hours without providing an unpaid, off-duty meal period of at least 30 minutes. The first meal period must be provided no later than the end of the employee's fifth hour of work.
On the other hand, exempt employees are not entitled to rest breaks or overtime since their salary is twice as much as the minimum hourly wage.
California also has exemptions for various industries concerning meal and rest break requirements. These industries include healthcare, construction, commercial drivers, union employees, public agencies, the motion picture industry, publically-owned electric utilities, and security officers.
You are allowed to skip a 15-minute break at work if you want, but it needs to be your decision. Your employer cannot force you to skip your break. California labor laws require employers to provide the opportunity for their employees to take breaks. Legally, you do not have to take them if you don't want to.
Meal and Break Obligations In California. You cannot employ someone for more than five hours without providing an unpaid, off-duty meal period of at least 30 minutes. The first meal period must be provided no later than the end of the employee's fifth hour of work.