An employer may not force an employee to work through a meal break. Employees must be afforded reasonable bathroom breaks.If an employee works 12 hours or more in one day, they're entitled to two meal breaks. Leaves of absence in Illinois. Illinois employers must provide a meal break to employees who work at least seven and a half continuous hours. This break must be at least 20 minutes long. For every 7.5 hours worked, Illinois state law allows one meal break to be taken no later than 5 hours from the start of the shift. The law now requires employers to provide an additional 20 minute meal period to employees working 12 or more hours in a shift. This Fact Sheet provides general information about the Federal youth employment provisions applicable to nonagricultural occupations. The new law going into effect (that I assume this is about) is one mandating all employers to provide PTO to their employees.