California law requires that employers “provide” employees meal and rest breaks. Employers must affirmatively relieve employees of all work duties within certain time windows and for certain durations. This time becomes an employee’s free time and the employer must relinquish all control over an employee.
The key word is “provide.” An employer is forbidden from discouraging or impeding workers from taking breaks, from pressuring employees to perform duties in ways that omit breaks, from creating incentives to sacrifice breaks, or from otherwise encouraging employees to skip their legally protected breaks.
If you feel your employer is discouraging you from taking your legally protected meal and/or rest breaks, contact us online, or at (310) 207-8088 , to see if we can help.