Employers in NYS must provide certain employees with at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in any calendar week. Non-Factory Workers are entitled to a 30-minute lunch break between a.m. and.By law, employees are entitled to meal and rest breaks. Factory workers are entitled to a 60-minute lunch break between 11 a.m. Rest breaks are not required, but all breaks 20 minutes or less must be compensated as hours worked. Industry-Specific Scheduling Requirements. Employee meal breaks are required to be at least 30 minutes if an employee works six hours anywhere throughout New York state. Employees are entitled to a 45-minute break for shifts more than 6 consecutive hours that begin between 1 p.m. The LEL legal job market demonstrates a consistent, steady demand for lawyers who specialize in the field. Neither New York State law nor federal law requires an employer to give employees break period.