When employers offer short breaks (5 to 20 minutes), the law requires employers to pay for those breaks. A few states allow employers to choose between giving a meal break or rest breaks, or require only that employers provide employees with enough break time to use the restroom. The Working Time Regulations 1998 state the following provision for rest breaks at work and time off: Rest breaks at work A worker is entitled to an uninterrupted break of 20 minutes when daily working time is more than six hours. This is on top of the basic 20-minute break. They are considered work time, and count for wages and overtime calculations. For example, an employee might receive a 15-minute break after every 3 hours of work. A few states require employers to provide a second 30-minute (minimum) lunch break for employees that work more than 10 hours in a work day. If the employee’s total work time is 3 ½ hours or less, then a break is not required. Plan time to take frequent breaks: You should mark your lunchtime on your calendar and leave your office on time. Under these minimum standards, if your lunch break is over 20 minutes, it counts as your full entitlement to a break for that day. Employees use break time, which generally lasts from five to 20 minutes per four hours worked, to eat, visit the restroom, read, talk with friends, smoke, and handle personal business. Exactly how much time they’ll get for a lunch break, and that lunch breaks aren’t paid time. If you work more than 6 hours you are entitled to a 30 minute break, which can include the first 15-minute break. Still, the disadvantage of shorter lunch breaks is that employees may tend to eat at their desks. A compensatory rest break means that you can take the break at a later time. Federal law states that employers cannot require employees to work during their meal break. Ordinarily, a meal break is “bona fide” if it lasts for at least 30 minutes, although shorter breaks may also qualify, depending on the circumstances. However, if offered, the employer must clarify the duration and frequency of break time. Longer breaks provided for meals are not considered work time. It may come as a surprise to know that the US Department of Labor (DOL) does not require employers to offer rest breaks or lunch breaks to employees. Only a third of UK workers say they take a proper lunch break, with many citing workload, stress levels and workplace culture as barriers. That break generally must be counted in an employee's work time, except under certain circumstances.