Breaks are not required by law in Florida for adult employees.
However, if an employer offers meal and rest breaks, they must comply with federal labor laws regarding when employees are paid and whether they are permitted to work during the break.
Employers are not legally required to offer rest breaks, but many employers do offer rest breaks as a matter of custom or policy.
Florida’s only requirement for a meal break applies to minor employees under age 18, who are entitled to have a 30-minute unpaid break for every 4 hours of work.
Federal law requires that employers pay employees through their short breaks of between five and 20 minutes.
What Are The Federal Labor Laws Regarding Payment And Work During Breaks In Florida?
Here are the federal labor laws regarding payment and work during breaks in Florida:
- Federal law requires that employees be paid for breaks considered part of a regular workday.
- Employers must comply with federal labor laws regarding when employees are paid and whether they are permitted to work during the break if they offer meal and rest breaks.
- Short breaks under 20 minutes are considered part of a regular workday.
- Florida labor laws do not require employers to provide meal and rest breaks specifically.
- If employers offer meal and rest breaks, they must comply with federal labor laws.
- Employers should not allow or mandate minor employees to work more than 4 hours unceasingly without a break for a meal.
- Florida labor laws do not require breaks to be taken by employees.
- Beyond needing to keep in step with labor laws, Florida businesses need to be aware of the importance of correct pay related to breaks.
- A common error that happens when paying minimum wage staff is related to a worker not punching out to take breaks, which can pad employee hours or lead to them working overtime that they have not been paid for.
- The length and number of breaks employers provide throughout the day are at each one’s discretion.
- Minors who work for more than four continuous hours are entitled to a meal break of at least 30 minutes.
Are Employers In Florida Legally Obligated To Offer Rest Breaks To Adult Employees?
Employers in Florida are not legally obligated to offer rest breaks to adult employees.
Here are some key points from the sources:
- Florida employers usually allow 30-minute lunch breaks for employees working on a six- to eight-hour shift, as well as coffee or snack breaks.
- There is no requirement for an employer to provide a meal period or rest break to employees aged 18 or older in Florida.
- Employers must adhere to the requirements of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which also does not mandate a meal or rest break.
- Florida’s only requirement for a meal break applies to minor employees under age 18.
- Although Florida law does not require employers to provide meal or rest breaks, if an employer offers them, breaks are protected.
Do The Federal Laws Require Employers To Pay Employees During Short Breaks In Florida?
In Florida, federal law is used as a guideline to determine how much employees should be paid.
Short breaks under 20 minutes are considered part of a regular workday and must be paid for by the employer.
However, Florida law does not require that breaks be taken by employees.
If employers offer meal and rest breaks, they must comply with federal labor laws regarding when employees are paid and whether they are permitted to work during the break.
Adult employees are not entitled to any breaks under federal or state law, but if an employer offers a meal break as part of its company policy, then it must adhere to federal requirements.
Federal law requires employers to pay employees for short breaks of up to 20 minutes if the employer elects to provide a rest break.
If an employee has been asked to work during provided break times, they have the right to file a complaint against their company with the Florida Department of Labor.
In summary, Florida law does not require employers to pay employees during short breaks, but federal law should be considered and observed.
What Is The Specific Requirement For Meal Breaks For Minor Employees In Florida?
Florida labor laws for meal and rest breaks only apply to employees under the age of 18.
Here are the specific requirements for meal breaks for minor employees in Florida:
- Minors under age 18 are given mandatory breaks in Florida, which means a 30-minute lunch off the clock after four hours of the beginning of their shift and two 15-minute rest breaks on the clock if the employee is working an 8-hour shift.
- Florida labor laws for minors prohibit minors from working more than four hours without an unpaid meal period break.
- In addition to the meal period permitted under Florida break time laws, minors are also entitled to one 10-minute break for every four hours worked.
It is important to note that there is no legal requirement for employers to provide meal or rest breaks to employees aged 18 or older in Florida.
However, if an employer chooses to provide a meal break, it must be paid only if it lasts less than 20 minutes.
Breaks lasting longer than 30 minutes are classified as meal periods and do not need to be paid as long as the employee is completely relieved of all duties.
Are There Any Additional Regulations Or Considerations Regarding Breaks For Employees In Florida?
Florida labor laws do not require employers to provide meal and rest breaks specifically.
However, the federal labor law requires workers to be paid for breaks considered part of the workday.
The only state-specific break or meal law in Florida applies to employees under the age of 18, who are entitled to a meal break of 30 minutes for every 4 hours of continuous work.
For breaks that are 20 minutes or shorter (“coffee breaks”), employees should be compensated as this is considered part of the regular workday.
Although not an employee benefit required explicitly by Florida labor laws, breaks are protected once the employer offers them.
If the employer violates the provided break time by requiring employees to continue working during breaks or denying employees the opportunity to take their breaks, then the employer may get into trouble with the Florida Department of Labor.
Helpful Resources
- https://www.wenzelfenton.com/blog/2023/04/10/florida-labor-laws-on-breaks/
- https://www.postercompliance.com/blog/what-are-the-legal-requirements-for-workday-breaks-in-florida/
- https://timeero.com/resources-page/florida-break-law
- https://www.contractscounsel.com/r/2/us/florida-break-laws
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/articles/florida-labor-laws-about-break-during-work/
- https://thelawdictionary.org/article/florida-labor-laws-about-break-during-work/