There are no state laws in Arizona mandating a meal or rest break for workers. Employers may use the the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) as reference. as reference.
Meal Breaks
Meal breaks are not mandated by the FLSA. However, the time must be compensated if an employer decides to give a meal break (usually 20 minutes or less).
Rest Breaks
The FLSA doesn’t require rest breaks as well. However, 5- to 20-minute short breaks are common in the industry. Employees should be compensated for these short rest periods. Thus, if a company allows a short break, it has to compensate the workers for that time.
Bona Fide Meal Period
Meal period should be at least 30 minutes long to be considered non-working time. The employee must be completely freed of all responsibilities during this time. The employee should receive pay if they work during meal period. According to the Code of Federal Regulations § 785.19 Meal:
(a) Bona fide meal periods. Bona fide meal periods are not worktime. Bona fide meal periods do not include coffee breaks or time for snacks. These are rest periods. The employee must be completely relieved from duty for the purposes of eating regular meals. Ordinarily 30 minutes or more is long enough for a bona fide meal period. A shorter period may be long enough under special conditions. The employee is not relieved if he is required to perform any duties, whether active or inactive, while eating. For example, an office employee who is required to eat at his desk or a factory worker who is required to be at his machine is working while eating.
(b)Where no permission to leave premises. It is not necessary that an employee be permitted to leave the premises if he is otherwise completely freed from duties during the meal period.
Exceptions and Specific Industries
Particular regulations or exclusions may apply to certain professions or sectors. For example, we have the transportation or healthcare sectors who serve the public. Verify whether there are any union agreements or industry-specific rules in place.
Arizona workers must be familiar with their company’s policies on meal and rest breaks. Information on short breaks should be in the employee handbook or contract. Contact the Wage and Hour Division of the U.S. Department of Labor if you believe your rights have been violated as an employee.
Despite not being required to by law, employers in Arizona may opt to offer short breaks as part of their policies or perks. Additionally, it’s wise for companies to keep up with any state or local legislation that can change and have an impact on their break policy.
