What are the rules regarding meal and rest breaks?

Meal and rest breaks are an important part of the wage and hour law in California. Workers are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid meal break if they work more than 5 hours in a workday. In addition, they are entitled to an additional unpaid meal break of at least 30 minutes if they work more than 10 hours in a workday. Workers also have the right to take a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours they work. The breaks are to be taken in the middle of each 4-hour block of work, or as close to the middle as possible. Employers must also provide reasonable opportunities for employees to take their meal and rest breaks. This could include allowing the employee to go to the break room or allowing them to work on tasks away from their normal workstation. If an employer does not provide a reasonable opportunity for the employee to take their breaks, the employer must pay the employee for the time that should have been spent on the break. Finally, employers must keep accurate records of meal and rest breaks taken by employees. This may include having the employee clock in and clock out for meal and rest breaks. Keeping accurate records helps ensure that employees are not working more hours than they should be, which could prevent violations of wage and hour laws.

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What are the rules regarding meal and rest breaks?

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