No meal breaks! The madness!

[HotelMinion]

So I was brushing up in my worker rights' knowhow the other day, and I saw on the Web that in my state and many many other states, meal breaks are NOT, repeat NOT required by ANY law! (Except for minors) What madness is this! I remember on my very first job as a courier my employer told me that employers HAVE to give 30 minute breaks for every 4 hours by law. Did they change this in ten years since?! If so, how horrible! Obviously the government thinks that people are robots. No food or sitting needed, just oil and gas and electricity!
In the hotel that I used to work at, I had no official meal breaks. On other words I had to work on my break. I would bring my food, eat it whenever, and answer the telephone and blah blah blah while I ate. I didn't have much of a problem with that, as long I got to sit and eat and REFUEL. In the job that I'm now in, working for a gym cleaning, my boss lets me have my break. But I'm floored that he doesn't HAVE to!
Maybe I'm just making a big deal out or nothing. Rant over. =P

[EricKei]

Federal law mandates breaks for minors only; for majors, it's up to each state. If a company is in multiple states, and some of those states require the breaks, chances are that the whole company will go by that just to be on the safe side. I have found that the vast majority of companies do it anyway ^_^

[Gilhelmi]

Really? I know my State requires meal breaks. Any company with half a brain should require meal breaks because skipping meals can lead to bad thing (especially with diabetics and many other diseases). Humans should eat 2-3 times a day (5-6 smaller meals is better though).

"meal" bars are not a good, long-term, substitute.

[EricKei]

While I think this is something worth discussing, personally -- getting into whether places *should* always grant breaks is a topic better off on Fratching, I'm afraid. Talking about which states/companies do/do not allow for breaks is fine.

CS Rule of thumb: "If it's about what IS, it's cool on CS; if it's about what SHOULD BE, it goes on Fratching" -- the latter can escalate into a debate all too easily.

[BlaqueKatt]

I remember on my very first job as a courier my employer told me that employers HAVE to give 30 minute breaks for every 4 hours by law. Did they change this in ten years since?!

no they likely didn't change it it's one of those "laws" everyone "knows" exists but really it doesn't, like the ones SCs bust out.