QUESTION
I work full time in Pennsylvania. What are my rights regarding a lunch or meal break?
Asked on Jul 19th, 2017 on Employment Contracts - Pennsylvania
More details to this question:
I'm given a one hour unpaid lunch break each day. We have a staff meeting that we must stay clocked in and on premises for. Food is being provided. In the past we've been permitted to still take our unpaid lunch hour. Now my employer is not allowing us to take our full unpaid lunch because she says by law as long as they provide food, they don't have to allow us to take our breaks.
1 ANSWER
Business Law Attorney serving Pittsburgh, PA
at
Fiffik Law Group, P.C.
Update Your Profile
Much depends on the number of employees and your status an exempt or non-exempt employee under federal law but generally employers are not required to provide breaks. if they do, there are rules on when an employer must pay you for the break. Pertaining to the situation you relayed, your employer would be required to pay you for that "working lunch" assuming you are a non-exempt employee. If you are an exempt employee, you would not be paid for that working lunch.
Answered on Jul 19th, 2017 at 10:56 AM