For every four hours (or "major fraction" thereof) worked, the employer must allow the employee to take a ten-minute break. 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.Meal and rest breaks are legally mandated in the state of California. The laws on meal and rest breaks impose severe penalties for employers. Generally, exempt workers are entitled to unpaid meal breaks, but not all of them are entitled to rest periods. Your employer has to give you a ten-minute rest break for every 4 hours of work you perform. If you work at least 3.5 hours in a day, you are entitled to one rest break. If you work over 6 hours, you are entitled to a second rest break. As a general rule, and insofar as practicable, the rest break must be in the middle of each four-hour work period. Every nonexempt employee who has worked over five hours in a day is obligated to receive a meal break.