Accurate Time Tracking Is So Much Easier With Workyard
For both employers and employees, a construction worker’s lunch break is a valuable necessity. Employees who work without taking a break aren’t effective, productive, or safe.
Unfortunately, break time can also be a serious headache for company owners and managers.
You’ve probably already experienced the following issues:
- Employees not logging their break time. There’s no audit trail to prove that your employees are taking their breaks—and you have no idea how much time they’re actually taking.
- Employees taking too much break time. Employees easily lose track of time, if their time isn’t being externally tracked. That’s hours you’re paying for but not getting any returns from.
- Employees working straight through their break. It’s easy to tunnel-vision on a project, especially when it’s almost complete. While admirable, it’s not only unsafe—it’s illegal.
How can you make sure that your employees aren’t just taking their breaks but also logging them?
Construction Worker Lunch Break Laws by State
Some states, like California, have very specific laws about when workers must be given a break, while other states are more flexible. Let’s take a look at construction workers break laws by state.
State | Covered | Breaks |
|---|---|---|
Alabama | Employees working more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Alaska | Under 18 working more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Arizona | None | None |
Arkansas | Under 18 in the entertainment industry | 30 to 60 minute lunch |
California | Non-exempt employees working more than 5 hours unless workday is only 6 hours | 30+ minute lunch 10-minute break every four hours |
Colorado | Employees covered under Colorado’s minimum wage order working more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch 10-minute break every four hours |
D.C. | None | None |
Delaware | Employees 18+ who work over 7.5 hours Employees under 18 who work 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Florida | Non-exempt employees who work over 4 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Georgia | N/A | N/A |
Hawaii | 14 and 15-year-old employees who work over 5 hours | 30+ minutes |
Idaho | N/A | N/A |
Illinois | Employees who work over 7.5 hours Employees under 16 who work over 5 hours | 20+ minute lunch 30-minute lunch |
Indiana | Employees who work more than 6 hours | 1-2 breaks totaling 30 minutes |
Iowa | Employees who work more than 6 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Kansas | Employees who work more than 6 hours | 30+ minute lunch If less than 30 minutes, the employee must be paid |
Kentucky | Employees under 18 who work more than 4 hours Non-exempt employees over 18 who work more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch A reasonable period of break |
Louisiana | Non-exempt employees who work over 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch Unpaid |
Maine | Employees who work more than 6 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Maryland | Specific retail employees Non-exempt employees under 18 who work more than 5 hours | 5-minute break for 4-6 hour shifts 30-minute break for 6+ hour shifts 30-minute break for 8+ hour shifts with an additional 5-minute break for every additional 4 working hours |
Massachusetts | Non-exempt employees who work more than 6 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Michigan | Employees under 18 who work more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Minnesota | Employees who work more than 4+ hours Employees who work more than 8+ hours | Reasonable break time for bathroom breaks Reasonable break time for eating |
Mississippi | N/A | N/A |
Missouri | Employees under 18 in the entertainment industry | Reasonable break time for eating a meal every 5.5 hours 15-minute break every 2 hours |
Montana | N/A | N/A |
Nebraska | Employees who work at a mechanical establishment, assembling plant, or workshop | 30-minute break per every 8 hours worked |
Nevada | Employees working over 8 hours Employees working over 3.5 hours | 30+ minute lunch 10-minute break every 4 hours |
New Hampshire | Employees who work over 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
New Jersey | Minor employees who work over 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
New Mexico | No requirements | Rest breaks under 20 minutes must be paid |
New York | Factory Personnel Retail Personnel Employees working more than 6 hours | 60+ minute lunch 30+ minute lunch 30+ minute lunch |
North Carolina | Employees under 16 who work over 6 hours Employees who work over 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch 30+ minute lunch |
Ohio | Minor employees for every 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Oklahoma | Employees under 16 who work more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Oregon | Employees who work over 6 hours | 30+ minute lunch 10-minute break every four hours for adults 15-minute break every 4 hours for minors |
Pennsylvania | Farmworkers and minor employees every 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Rhode Island | Employees who work more than 5 hours | 20-minute lunch for 6 hours 30-minute lunch for 8 hours |
South Carolina | N/A | N/A |
South Dakota | N/A | N/A |
Tennessee | Employees who work 6+ hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Texas | N/A | N/A |
Utah | Minor employees who work 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch 10-minute break every 3 hours |
Vermont | Employees | Reasonable amount of break |
Virginia | Employees under 16 who work more than 5 hours | 30+ minute lunch |
Washington | Minor employees Employees working more than 3 hours longer than the workday Employees who work more than 4 hours | Variable break times (10 minutes to 2 hours) based on age Additional lunchtime of 30+ minutes 10-minute break for every 4 hours worked |
West Virginia | Employees who work more than 6 hours | 20+ minute lunch |
Wisconsin | Minor employees every 6 hours worked | 30+ minute lunch |
Wyoming | N/A | N/A |
The best way to make sure you are compliant with the law is to check with your state’s labor department website.
Did You Know?
Workyard helps you manage your construction workers’ breaks by automatically alerting them when they need to take one. Hours worked and break time are accurately logged within the app, providing the necessary paper trail to ensure that your employees are taking their breaks on time.
3 Tips for Managing Construction Workers’ Break Times
Now that you know the law, it’s time to start thinking about how you can manage your construction workers’ break time. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Communicate Your Expectations Upfront
Make sure your employees know what is expected of them during their break time. If you want them to take a specific number of breaks, or if there are certain activities that are not allowed, it should all be written in your employee manual.
2. Use a Break Timer, Such as a Mobile Time Tracking App
Workyard will keep track of how much break time your employees have taken. You’ll have an accurate, real-time record of what your employees are doing and where they are—and you’ll be able to pull reports for later.
3. Regularly Monitor Your Employees’ Break Time
As an employer, it’s your responsibility to make sure your employees are taking breaks. In construction, an employee not taking breaks can be dangerous for everyone. Workyard provides detailed and accurate reports to analyze employee break time and productivity.
Break times shouldn’t be complicated. With an accurate time clock app, it doesn’t have to be.
How Workyard Can Help With Construction Worker Breaks
If you’re looking for a way to streamline the break time process, Workyard can help. Workyard makes it easy to track hours worked, location, and break time—complete with a built-in break timer that can remind your employees when it’s time to take a break.
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