Wrongful Break Times

[MischiefDragon]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Connecticut. Can an employer give you only a ten minute paid break instead of a fifteen minute, which I thought was what stated but law.

 

[proud_parent]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Connecticut. Can an employer give you only a ten minute paid break instead of a fifteen minute, which I thought was what stated but law.

Is an employer required to provide a break?
Connecticut state law does not require an employer to provide a break. However, state law does require the employer to provide a meal period after the employee has worked 7½ or more consecutive hours. Meal period requirements are covered under http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/laws-regs/statute31-51ii.html.

Is the employer required to provide a meal period?
The employer must provide a meal period of at least 30 consecutive minutes if the employee has worked for 7½ or more consecutive hours. However, the Labor Commissioner will exempt the employer from this requirement if one of the following conditions is present:
a. complying with this requirement would endanger public safety;
b. the duties of the position can only be performed by one employee;
c. the employer employs less than 5 employees on that shift at that one business location (this only applies to that particular shift); or,
d. the employer's operation requires that employees be available to respond to urgent conditions, and that the employees are compensated for the meal period.

http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/faqs-employers.htm

 

[Beth3]

Can an employer give you only a ten minute paid break instead of a fifteen minute, which I thought was what stated but law.

They don't have to give you a break at all (other than a meal break as defined in the responses above.)

 

[swalsh411]

There is no law in CT which requires an employer to give breaks except for at least a 30 minute meal period if you work 7.5 hours or more.

 

[Zigner]

There is no law in CT which requires an employer to give breaks except for at least a 30 minute meal period if you work 7.5 hours or more.

And, even at that there are exceptions.

 

[cbg]

FYI, there is no law in any state requiring that breaks for adult employees in the private sector be 15 minutes, with the sole exception of some hotel employees in IL. And even that law, I have heard, may have been repealed.

I believe some states require 15 minute breaks for minors and it's entirely possible that some union contracts require it. But most states don't require rest breaks at all and those that do limit them to 10.