Is a 15 minute break time required for non union employees working at a job site in Illinois even though they take a 30 minute lunch and travel 30-120 minutes to and from the job site? Employees who work in the warehouse take 15 minutes breaks in the am/pm and 30 lunch break.
Posted 03-03-2013
Steve Duggan replies:
Although break times may be required for union employees by a collective bargaining agreement, neither the Fair Labor Standards Act nor Illinois labor laws require short break times for employees, at all. However, if an employer does allow short break times during the working day, the employee must be paid for the time spent on break under both state and federal law. Also, travel time to and from a job site, if it’s not the regular place of work (such as an office or warehouse) for the employee, must be counted as working time.
So, to answer your question, you don’t have to permit short break times for such employees. However, before changing a past practice, even for non-union employees, I recommend that you consult with an employment law attorney in your area.
Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.
