California:
"Meal and Rest Periods - Effective January 1, 2001 the requirements for rest periods and meal breaks were supplemented with new penalties that apply when these requirements are not met.
Rest breaks must be provided at the rate of ten consecutive minutes for each four (or major portion thereof) hours worked, and should occur as near as possible to the middle of the work period. Rest breaks may not be combined with or added on to meal breaks even at the employee's request. Nor may they be used to allow an employee to come in ten minutes late or leave ten minutes early. Rest periods are paid as time worked and may be controlled by the employer. The new provision stipulates that for each workday an employer fails to provide an employee a rest period as required, the employee is owed one additional hour of pay at the employee's regular rate.
A half-hour meal period generally must be provided for every work period of more than five hours. However, if six hours will complete the day's work, the employee may voluntarily choose not to take the meal periods. Meal periods may be unpaid only if:
- They are at least 30 minutes long;
- The employee is relieved of all duty; and
- The employee is free to leave the premises.
Meal periods may be longer than a half-hour at the employer's discretion. The new provision stipulates that for each workday an employer fails to provide an employee a meal period as required, the employee is owed one additional hour of pay at the employee's regular rate. "
Source:
http://www.merithr.com/pages/bussol/resources/calaborlaw.htm#mealrest