Kansas Rest Break Law

Kansas is one of many states in which employers are not legally required to provide rest or meal breaks to adults employed in the private sector. Several states have labor laws that help benefit the working class when it comes to meal and rest breaks, but Kansas isn’t one of the. Let’s use Delaware as an example; Delaware state law enforces a 30-minute meal break for employees that work seven consecutive hours and a half. As pragmatic as this might seem, federal laws do not enforce meal or rest breaks either.

Many people aren't aware the Federal Government does not enforce any laws or regulations that require employers to allow their employees the right to time off for a meal or periodic rest breaks. Although these types of breaks are not mandatory under any state or federal labor law, many employers still provide these breaks as a form of formality and policy. Every business owner wants an efficient and positive workplace, which can’t be achieved with energy drained and hungry employees.  

If an employer decides to offer any type of break, whether it is to rest or for a meal, the employer must be in ordinance with Federal laws and rules. Any break of 20 minutes or less is considered part of the workday, therefore, it must be paid- covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). An employer may also require his/her employees to take a meal break of 30 minutes or more with the choice of paying for the breaks or not. The deciding factor for this method is whether the employee was performing any labor related tasks during the time of rest. For example, if a receptionist must answer calls while he/she eats, the break must be paid. An employer doesn’t have to pay for the meal break if it exceeds 20 minutes without any labor involved.