Employers must provide a second meal break of no fewer than 30 minutes for all workdays on which an employee works more than 10 hours. An additional 30-minute unpaid meal break when working more than 12 hours in a day.A paid 10-minute rest period for every four hours worked. If you work over 5 hours in a day, you are entitled to a meal break of at least 30 minutes that must start before the end of the fifth hour of your shift. Nonexempt California employees must be given a meal or lunch break for a minimum of 30 minutes for shifts longer than five hours. Every nonexempt employee who has worked over five hours in a day is obligated to receive a meal break. Under Labor Code 512, non-exempt employees who work more than 5 hours per day must receive a minimum meal break of 30 minutes. Under California's meal break law, the employer must provide employees with an unpaid 30-minute meal break for every 5 hours they work. Under CA law, meal breaks are uninterrupted, unpaid 30minute breaks to which every employee is legally entitled. Meal Break Requirements in California.