Workers have a right to at least a 30minute meal break or each 6 hours worked in a calendar day. For example, California requires one paid 10minute rest period for every 4 hours worked.The law in California states that someone can work up to 6 hours with no lunch break. The One Day Rest in Seven Act, as its name implies, allows for at least 24 hours of rest every seven consecutive days. However, states like California have strict regulations, requiring employers to provide a tenminute paid break for every four hours worked. In the state of Illinois, employers are required to give employees a meal period of at least 20 minutes if they have worked seven and a half hours or more. Most California workers must receive the following breaks: An uninterrupted 30-minute unpaid meal break when working more than five hours in a day. Break Entitlements for Employees. Employers in California have to pay workers properly. The New Year will usher in several new Illinois employment laws.