Can a Company Meeting Count as a Break?
If you work in a position that requires you to attend daily or weekly meetings that span for several hours, you may feel guilty about taking a break, especially if your company provided a catered lunch. If you know you have unanswered emails or phone calls, you may find it difficult to rationalize taking time away from your workday to do more than use the restroom or refill your water bottle as you attempt to catch up on your daily work tasks. However, depending on where you work, you might legally need to take a separate break apart from your company meeting.
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Federal Law Considerations
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The federal Fair Labor Standards Act does not contain any stipulations requiring employers to offer a rest or lunch break during the work day. However, the FLSA does have provisions allowing female employees who are nursing to take breaks when needed so they can express breast milk. If a nursing mother attended a company meeting, her employer would need to offer her an additional break under the FLSA act.
State Law Regulations
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Each state in the U.S. has the ability to regulate paid rest breaks and meal periods. For example, in Colorado employers must offer an employee at least a 30-minute meal break if the employee works five consecutive hours or more during a workday. Colorado also requires employers to offer a 10-minute rest break when an employee works at least four consecutive hours. Check with your state's labor office to find out the rest break and meal break regulations your employer is required to offer you
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Rest Break Considerations
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If your state requires your employer to offer you a short rest break during your workday, your employer must financially compensate you for that set amount of time. If your state requires your employer to relieve you of all work duties during your break, your employer can't count a company meeting as a rest break. If you were scheduled to work for the minimum amount of time your state requires to qualify for a rest break, your employer would need to offer you a break aside from your company meeting.
Meal Break Considerations
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If your employer provided food or an entire meal during a lengthy company meeting, the meeting could qualify as a meal break. However, because you weren't relieved of your work responsibilities during this time, your employer would need to pay you for your lunch break. If food wasn't provided during the meeting, you would still qualify for an unpaid lunch break if your state requires one.
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