California Meal and Rest Breaks, Brinker Decision Changes the Game

The California Supreme court’s long awaited decision in the Brinker case was a relief to employers and a cautionary tale to employees.

Let’s review what California law dictates then we’ll discuss what the Brinker decision says about how that law should be applied.

California Labor code 512 states that:

1. all meal breaks be a minimum of 30 minutes long,
2. they must be uninterrupted
3. they must begin by the end of the 5th hour if the employee is scheduled for at least 6 hours that shift.
4. 10 minute rest breaks must be given for every 4 hour period the employee works. The penalty for improper meal or rest breaks in one hour of pay.

In the Brinker case the court was tasked to decide what the employer’s role of responsibility was in ensuring that all of these requirements be met. More or less the court stated that employers are charged with the following tasks:

1.  Relieve employees of all duty
2.  Relinquish control over their activities
3. Permit them a reasonable opportunity to take an uninterrupted 30-minute break.

The decision also cleared up a common misconception that the employee must be given a break if working 5 hours. There is no rolling 5-hour rule. In other words, there’s no penalty if an employee works 5 consecutive hours without a meal period (as the plaintiffs in Brinker argued). The Court asked for post-hearing briefing on this issue; it raised the specter that almost every employer in the state had a policy that was wrong.

Here’s what we should take away from this decision:

Rules for meal periods:

1. Employees who work no more than 5 hours get no meal period.
2. Employees who work over 5 but no more than 6 hours get a meal period, unless they’ve waived it in writing. If they don’t waive it, the meal period must begin by the end of the 5th hour.
3. Employees who work more than 6 but no more than 10 hours get a meal period regardless of whether there’s a waiver. The meal period must begin by the end of the 5th hour.
4. Employees who work more than 10 hours get a 2nd meal period. If they work no more than 12 hours they can waive it. If they don’t waive it, the meal period must begin by the end of the 10th hour.

The rules for rest breaks:

1.  Employees who work no more than 3.5 hours get no rest period.
2. Employees who work 3.5 to 6 hours get 1 rest period.
3. Employees who work more than 6 and up to 10 hours get 2 rest periods.
4. Employees who work more than 10 and up to 14 hours get 3 rest periods.Labor law is complex; if you have any questions regarding your employment it is recommended that you contact a California labor law attorney who can help you understand your rights and in many cases will review your situation without charge.

If you have any questions about this article or our blog, feel free to call us at:

---

Photo Credit: Shutterstock/Eviart