As an employer, there are a lot of laws and regulations that you have to abide by. If you don’t, then you could end up facing fines and lawsuits filed by your employees and former employees. You certainly want to avoid those outcomes, which is why it’s imperative that you know the basics of employments law and how it applies to you and your business.
One area that often creates confusion for employers is meal and rest breaks. Are you required to provide them?
Alaska’s laws on meal and rest breaks
The laws pertaining to rest and meal breaks depend on a number of factors. For example, if you employ a minor, then you’re required to provide at least a 30-minute break if the minor is going to work for five or more hours.
The rules are significantly different for work workers who are 18 and older. For these individuals, you aren’t required to provide a break, but if you do provide one that lasts for less than 20 minutes, then you’re required to pay for the break.
You don’t have to pay a worker for a meal break so long as it lasts more than 20-minutes. You’ll have to be careful here, though, to ensure that you’re not asking the employee to work during that break. If you do, then you’re required to pay them for that meal break.
Do you need help navigating your employment law issues?
Your business can face a plethora of employment law issues as time passes, including those pertaining to violations of meal and rest breaks. If you come face-to-face with any of those challenges, then you might want to consider seeking out legal assistance as doing so is probably the best way to protect your interests, your reputation, and your business’s bottom line.