# Can an employer require you to take a 30-minute lunch break each day? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 7, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427 "2006-11-07T15:36:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427/61 "2006-11-13T03:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=Martini Enfield] I’m still waiting for someone to tell me why a sane, rational person _wouldn’t_ want a lunchbreak… [/QUOTE] I thought it was mentioned a few times – to go home earlier. If you have 8 hours of work to do per day and you spend 30-60 minutes at lunch, then you extend your work day to 8.5 - 9 hours. Personally, I may prefer the mid-day break, but I wouldn’t consider those that don’t as insane or irrational. ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427/62 "2006-11-13T04:04:58Z")
[QUOTE=LucyInDisguise] [slight hijack] Then, about 2 years back, a ‘security expert’ pointed out to my employer that I had never taken a “Vacation” … ::Never! OMG - he must be planning something sinister!:: [/QUOTE] Mandatory vacation is part of internal controls required in some industries, and good practice for anyone who could take money. It’s not so much that your employer doesn’t trust _you_. It’s that they need to make sure that nobody has an opportunity to perpetuate an embezzlement scheme. I once was involved in a case where an employee managed to embezzle millions of dollars from a company. The scheme was discovered when the employee finally took a vacation. > [@](#): > > It is the FDIC’s goal that all banks have a vacation policy which provides that active officers and employees be absent from their duties for an uninterrupted period of not less than two consecutive weeks. Such a policy is considered an important internal safeguard largely because of the fact that perpetration of an embezzlement of any substantial size usually requires the constant presence of the embezzler in order to manipulate records, respond to inquiries from customers or other employees, and otherwise prevent detection. > **[Financial Institution Letters | FDIC.gov](https://www.fdic.gov/news/financial-institution-letters)** [http://www.dfi.ca.gov/bulletin/2004/december04.pdf](http://www.dfi.ca.gov/bulletin/2004/december04.pdf) > [@](#): > > The town board should be aware of the lack of segregation and implement oversight procedures to ensure that internal control policies and procedures are being followed. In addition, the town board may want to implement other controls. For example, a mandatory vacation policy or periodic rotation of duties among employees would allow management to observe if there is any noticeable change (for example, a marked increase in cash receipts) while another person is performing the duties. These alternative controls also help lessen potential disruptions caused by employee turnover. [http://www.osa.state.mn.us/other/PublishedArticles/InternalControls\_article.pdf](http://www.osa.state.mn.us/other/PublishedArticles/InternalControls_article.pdf) ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2006, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427/63 "2006-11-13T04:15:26Z")
One more: > [@](#): > > Ninety percent of asset misappropriations involve cash. Here are some simple things that you can do to minimize the risk of loss in your business: > > * * * > > ``` > * Enforce a mandatory vacation policy. Some of the worst war stories I have heard usually involved trusted long-term employees who never took a vacation. Employees can cover up fraud and other abuses limiting access to records by others. > > ``` [http://www.oaklandchamber.com/obr\_stories/2004\_10\_protecting\_business.shtml](http://www.oaklandchamber.com/obr_stories/2004_10_protecting_business.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![kittenblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ba8739/32.png) [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427/64 "2008-08-22T23:26:25Z")
I work in retail. We are on our feet for 8 hours…no sitting down. I look forward to that half-hour break as a gift from above every day. If I don’t eat, I walk the mall, do errands, sit in the bathroom, read…doze. I work from 9am to 5:30…no big deal. Salaried managers (at my other retail job) were required to work 45-60 hours a week. Why can’t you approach your boss and ask if you could each have a choice between being salaried, and being hourly? That way everyone could be happy…and those of you who can’t see the value of a bathroom break or of not bolting down your food can work straight through if you like… ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427/65 "2008-08-22T23:28:44Z")
Zombie thread closed. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-an-employer-require-you-to-take-a-30-minute-lunch-break-each-day/379427.md?page=3)