Meal breaks are unpaid unless the employee's employment contract requires payment. 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.If at least 50 per cent of the hours the employee works is in a job category that is covered, the employee qualifies for overtime pay. The Ontario Employment Standards Act (ESA) requires that all employees be granted one 30minute break for every 5 consecutive hours of work. Non-Factory Workers are entitled to a 30-minute lunch break between a.m. and. As an employee, you are entitled to an unpaid break of at least 30 minutes during every period of 5 consecutive hours of work. Most employees must be given at least eleven (11) consecutive hours off work per day and twenty-four (24) hours off per work week (Section 18);. There are limits to how many hours you can be expected to work in a stretch and requirements for the breaks that the employer must provide. A list of important dates for all Queen's students, whether studying remotely or on-campus.