Q: In Colorado, if I work over 5 hours is a break required. My Employer offers on-the-clock free meals but NO breaks.
Hourly employee in Colorado. There are no breaks or rest periods during an 8-hour shift, but a free meal from the company is offered.
Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
- (916) 704-3009
- View Profile
- Answered
A:
In Colorado, employment law requires that hourly employees are entitled to a 30-minute meal break when working shifts that exceed five consecutive hours. This break must be duty-free, and if it cannot be provided, the employee must be paid for this time. In addition to the meal break, employees are also entitled to a paid 10-minute rest period for every 4 hours of work, or major fractions thereof. Offering a free meal while working does not fulfill the legal requirement for a duty-free meal break.
If your employer is not providing these required breaks during an 8-hour shift, they may be in violation of Colorado labor laws. You have the right to bring this issue to your employer's attention. If the situation does not improve, you can file a complaint with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment. It's important for employers to adhere to these regulations to ensure the well-being of their employees.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
