Meal and lunch breaks in California
Employers must give a 30-minute meal period when a shift is more than 5 hours. If the whole workday is 6 hours or less, the employee and employer can agree to skip it. A second 30-minute meal period is required when the workday is more than 10 hours.
Rest breaks in California
Employees get a paid 10-minute rest break for every 4 hours worked (or major fraction of 4 hours), ideally in the middle of each work period. A rest break isn't required if the total workday is under 3½ hours.
Good to know
- When a required meal or rest break isn't provided, California employers generally owe an extra hour of pay at the employee's regular rate for that day.
- Some industries (such as motion pictures, certain drivers and some union-covered workers) have different rules.
What federal law says (applies in every state)
- Federal law doesn't require employers to give meal or rest breaks.
- If your employer does give short breaks (usually 5 to 20 minutes), they must be paid.
- Meal breaks of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid, but only if you're fully relieved of work. If you have to keep working while you eat, that time must be paid.
- Most employers must give reasonable break time and a private space (not a bathroom) for nursing employees to pump breast milk for up to a year after a baby's birth.
Work out your hours
Use the Lunch Break Calculator to see your hours worked after an unpaid lunch, or the Timesheet Calculator to add up your week.
Please note: This page is a plain-English summary for adult (18+) private-sector employees, last checked October 2026. Workers under 18, government employees and union members often have different rules. Laws change, so for an official answer check with your state labor department. This isn't legal advice.