At Holman Schiavone, LLC, Kansas City-based attorneys are committed to helping employees assert their rights and obtain the employment compensation they are entitled to receive. We handle a broad spectrum of wage and hour disputes for employees throughout Missouri and Kansas.

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and Rest Breaks

The FLSA is a federal statute that governs wage and overtime standards. The FLSA does not require employers to provide their employees with meal and rest breaks. However, certain work practices relating to meal and rest breaks may give rise to a wage and hour claim.

While employers do not have to pay employees for 30-minute meal breaks, an issue arises when employees are required to work during their meal break. If your employer asks you to work during your lunch break or gives you so much work that you are forced to miss lunch to keep up with the demands of your job, you may be entitled to overtime compensation at a rate of 1.5 times your regular rate of pay.

Short coffee or rest breaks of 20 minutes or less are typically considered part of the work day and employers are generally expected to pay for such breaks. If you are required to subtract short breaks from your work hours, your employer may be violating your rights.

Certain employees and professions are exempted from the overtime pay protections afforded by the FLSA. Visit our section on misclassification to learn more, or schedule a consultation with an attorney at our firm.

Speak With One of Our Kansas City Attorneys Today

If you are an employee facing a meal and rest break dispute, we are on your side. Please call us at (816) 399-5149 or email us to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our experienced Kansas City employment lawyers.

We also handle retaliation claims in cases where employers take action against an employee who reports a workplace violation or pursues legal action against the employer. We will protect your rights and interests every step of the way.