Break Rules
When a break is due, it totals 45 minutes, of which at least 30 must be continuous. When it becomes due depends on the type of work and shift length:
- Physical work: break required after 6+ hours
- Non-physical: after 8+ hours (6-day week) or 9+ hours (5-day week)
Break Pay
A break is not always paid time. If the worker must stay on the premises, the situation is different.
Normally a break is unpaid if the person can genuinely stop working, leave the premises, and use the time freely. But if the worker must stay on site and be available to the employer, it can be treated differently. What matters is not what was written in the schedule, but whether you actually got a real break.
Example
If a person works 7 hours in a warehouse — that is physical work. A break is generally already required. If they did not get one and were on their feet for all 7 hours without stopping, that is grounds to check whether their rights were violated.
If a person works 9 hours in an office on a five-day week, a break also becomes a legal requirement, not a matter of the manager's goodwill.
Minors
The same 45 minutes — 30 of them continuous — apply to minors too. This is the general rule, not a concession granted only to them.
Summary
Breaks depend on the type of work and shift length. The key question is whether the break was real.