Patent ID: 8644489

Claim:
A method for forcing a contact center agent to adhere to taking a scheduled break from handling one or more communications for a contact center, the method comprising the steps of: reading a scheduled start time for the scheduled break by at least one computer processor; upon detecting a request from the contact center agent to begin the scheduled break prior to the scheduled start time: determining by the at least one computer processor whether a current time is within an early break request time limit with respect to the scheduled start time; and in response to the current time being within the early break request time limit with respect to the scheduled start time: setting a current state for the contact center agent by the at least one computer processor to indicate the contact center agent is unavailable to handle the one or more communications for the contact center so that none of the one or more communications are routed to the contact center agent; and after a period of time, setting the current state for the contact center agent by the at least one computer processor to indicate the contact center agent is available to handle the one or more communications for the contact center so that at least one of the one or more communications is routed to the contact center agent; and upon detecting the current time corresponds to the scheduled start time for the scheduled break: automatically setting the current state for the contact center agent by the at least one computer processor without intervention by the contact center agent to indicate the contact center agent is unavailable to handle the one or more communications for the contact center so that none of the one or more communications are routed to the contact center agent; and after the period of time, setting the current state for the contact center agent by the at least one computer processor to indicate the contact center agent is available to handle the one or more communications for the contact center so that at least one of the one or more communications is routed to the contact center agent.