An employer may not force an employee to work through a meal break. Illinois Law Requires Meal Breaks.Illinois employers must provide a meal break to employees who work at least seven and a half continuous hours. As such, employees must be permitted to take a meal break for every 7.5 hours worked no later than 5 hours after the start of the shift. In Illinois, employees are entitled to a 10minute paid rest break for every 4 hours of work they complete. Illinois is among the nineteen US states that requires most private-sector employers to give their employees meal breaks. Federal law doesn't require meal breaks, but Illinois law does. The Fair Workweek Ordinance requires certain employers to provide workers with predictable work schedules and compensation for changes. Employees who work at least 7.5 continuous hours or more are entitled to a 20-minute unpaid meal break. If you're more than what the law calls parttime, you get a weekly day off.