An employer may not force an employee to work through a meal break. 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 amendment took effect immediately, and requires that Illinois employers provide paid breaks to mothers who breastfeed or express milk at work. The law now requires employers to provide an additional 20 minute meal period to employees working 12 or more hours in a shift. Workers have a right to at least a 30minute meal break or each 6 hours worked in a calendar day. If you think we may have recovered unpaid wages for you, use the Workers Owed Wages (WOW) application to search and claim them. In Chicago, Illinois, employees who are scheduled for shifts of 7.5 hours (and less than 12 hrs) are entitled to a meal break of at least 20 minutes. Fordham is a top-ranked Catholic university in NYC, offering exceptional education in the Jesuit tradition to approx.