For shifts 10 hours or longer, an employee is entitled to two 30-minute breaks. An employee is not entitled to any breaks if their shift is 5 hours or less.Most employees (there are some exemptions) can take one 30minute break for a meal, in their first five hours of work. A meal break of one hour or less is not part of the 3 consecutive hours of work. In cases of just cause, no termination notice or termination pay are required. Employers must be prepared to demonstrate that just cause exists for termination. An employee is entitled to one 30-minute paid or unpaid break after the first 5 hours of work for shifts that are between 5 and 10 hours long. The short answer is no. Alberta's Employment Standards Code (ESC) doesn't require employers to provide non-unionized employees with meal breaks. 3. Supplying a meal after 12 hours: Under s.