Employment Law: Breaks and Lunch Time Required

Under Washington State regulations, for every five hours an hourly employee works, they are entitled a thirty-minute meal period. If the employee is required to remain on duty, on the premises, or at their workstation, the meal period must be paid by the employer. No employee shall be required to work more than five consecutive hours without a meal period. See WAC 296-126-092. In addition, for each four hours of time worked, an employee is entitled to take rest break of at least ten minutes. If an employee is working overtime, for three hours or more worked past the normal workday, an employee will be allowed at least one thirty-minute meal period prior to or during the overtime hours. The only exception to these required scheduled rest and meal periods, is if the nature of the work allows the employee to take intermittent rest breaks equivalent to the ten minutes for every four hours worked.

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