Employers in NYS must provide certain employees with at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in any calendar week. Labor Law Section 162 sets forth the required meal periods for employees in New York State.Employee meal breaks are required to be at least 30 minutes if an employee works six hours anywhere throughout New York state. Meal breaks are unpaid unless the employee's employment contract requires payment. The Ontario Employment Standards Act (ESA) requires that all employees be granted one 30minute break for every 5 consecutive hours of work. You're only entitled to a 30 minute unpaid meal break every FIVE HOURS. This needs to change. As an employee, you are entitled to an unpaid break of at least 30 minutes during every period of 5 consecutive hours of work. The Employment Standards Act (ESA) mandates that most employees must be granted a 30minute break, or eating period, for every five consecutive hours of work. New York law does not require employers to give employees a rest break.