Many employees do not grant their workers adequate amount of paid and unpaid breaks. They actually break the law by not granting proper breaks to their employees. But, it is important to note that such things are not applicable in all states. Florida is one of those states where the breaks are not a mandatory on the employees. As per the Florida labor laws, there are no specific legal requirements regarding breaks. In fact, even the federal laws do not have any provision for breaks during a work shift. Do you know that there are weird laws in florida? Check out here for more info!
However, there are still several regulations to protect the interest of the employees in cases where they are cheated out of overtime compensation resulting from unpaid snack breaks. When you need more knowledge about laws, you can always ask professionals like Bob Bratt.
Lunch Breaks
Employers often provide a 30-minute lunch break for work shifts that are longer than six hours, but this is not necessarily be a paid break. Since this 30-minute period is not working time, even the laws does not make it mandatory on the employers to pay for it. It is entirely up to the owner of the organization to decide whether lunch breaks will be paid or not.
Coffee Or Snack Breaks
As per the Florida labor laws, short breaks of five to thirty minutes must be allotted to employees during the work shift. If it is a full shift, this short break must be in addition to the 30-minute lunch break. Though the lunch break is unpaid, the employer must pay for the coffee and snack break that employees often take at desk. For shifts that are less than six hours, there is a legal provision for a short break of five to thirty minutes, and it must be a paid break. Those who are working on hourly wages are also entitled to this paid break.
For Minor Employees
The Florida labor laws also have specific provisions for breaks for minor employees, the ones who are under 18. These employees are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid break for a work shift of longer than four hours.
It is important to note that the federal laws do not say anything specifically about lunch breaks. It is entirely up to the states to decide whether it should be a mandatory break or not. The states where the lunch breaks are mandatory include Washington, Rhode Island, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Massachusetts, Kentucky, Delaware, Colorado, West Virginia, Tennessee, Oregon, New York, Nevada, Minnesota, Maine, Illinois, Connecticut, AND California. As far as Florida labor laws are concerned, giving lunch breaks are not mandatory in this state.