Can a company deny me a lunch break?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Can a company deny me a lunch break?
Asked on January 29, 2016 under Employment Labor Law, North Carolina
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
In NC, there are no laws that adult workers have a right to meal (or rest) breaks. However, workers under 16 years old have a right to a 30-minute meal break after 5 hours work and breaks of less than 30 minutes must be paid.
That having been said, if this denial violates company policy or the terms of an employment contract or union agreement, then it is illegal not to give you a lunch break. Also, your treatment must not be due to any form of actionable discrimintion. Otherwise, not providing you with a meal break is permissable under the law. The fact is that an employer can set the terms and conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit or deem ncessary.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.