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. 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.The rest period is based on the total hours worked daily and must be at the minimum rate of a net ten consecutive minutes for each four hour work period. Under CA law, meal breaks are uninterrupted, unpaid 30minute breaks to which every employee is legally entitled. California law allows employees to waive (agree not to take it or receive any penalty pay for missing it) meal breaks for shifts of 6 hours or less. California employers are required to make meal breaks available to its non-exempt employees. California wage and hour law requires employers to provide lunch or meal breaks to employees who work a minimum number of hours. What Does California Law Say About Rest and Meal Breaks? The California break laws in relation to rest breaks are as follows. For every 4 hours of work carried out, you are entitled to a 10 minute rest break.