Can your boss make you work during your lunch hour?

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Can your boss make you work during your lunch hour?

I work an 8-5ish and we are all salary in the office. We are given a hour lunch break. Now our employer is saying that 2 days a week, we will be required to have a meeting during our lunch break, which will be mandatory, meaning we will have basically no lunch break to leave. Is this legal?

Asked on October 16, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Florida

Answers:

M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

Florida does not have any laws requiring an employer to provide a meal period or breaks to
employees 18 years of age or older, thus the federal rule applies.  The federal rule does
not require an employer to provide either a meal (lunch) period or breaks.  However, if an
employer chooses to do so, breaks, usually of the type lasting less than 20 minutes, must
be paid.  Meal or lunch periods (usually 30 minutes or more) do not need to be paid, so
long as the employee is free to do as they wish during the meal or lunch period.  Do you haev a contract or employee handbook that provides for meals?  If yes then you can rely on that.  If no then I would speak with an employment attorney in your area about your specific facts.  Good luck.


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