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Manage Construction Worker Lunch Break Time With These Tips

Name: Workyard
Brand: Workyard
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Break times can make or break your construction business. Learn how to effectively manage Construction Worker Lunch Break with these tips.

Nic De Bonis

Last updated: May 30, 2024 5 min read

Construction workers talking while on break.

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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