Break Time Pay

Federal law does not make it mandatory to pay for break time, or provide for meal breaks or rest breaks during work time. Generally, work time is the time an employee is required to be at the workplace, and all the time the employee is required to, or allowed to, work or be on duty.

Meal time break
Meal breaks given to employees for 30 minutes or more need not be counted as hours worked, and the employer is not obligated to pay for that time. If the employer keeps the employee working or remaining on duty during the time provided for a meal break, the employee has to be paid. A number of state laws require employers to give specified meal or rest breaks at certain points during the day.

Coffee breaks
The employee has to be paid for break periods that are less than 20 minutes.

Waiting time
If the employee is asked to wait on the office premises before being designated any work, or at any time without being provided work, he/she has to be paid for that time.