Employers in California should review their meal period and rest break policies to ensure employees receive the breaks required by law.

February 25, 2011

California law governing employee meal periods and rest breaks has been hotly and regularly contested in the past few years, often resulting in more questions and confusion than answers or guidance for employers. Brinker and similar meal and rest break cases dealing with the issue of whether employers must "ensure" or simply "provide" employees with meal periods are still pending before the California Supreme Court. Nonetheless, the California legislature has been busy writing, and the courts have been busy interpreting, other aspects of meal and rest break laws.