what is the federal rest break
However, when employers do offer short rest breaks, federal law considers the breaks as paid work time that must be included in the total hours worked during the week and used in determining whether overtime is owed.
Rest periods are breaks of a short duration and generally promote employee efficiency. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, a rest period is typically between 5 to 20 minutes. If an employer offers a rest period, the employee must receive compensation for the time. Unauthorized rest periods or extended breaks beyond the time allotted do not have to be compensated by the employer. For example, if an employee takes a scheduled 15-minute break but does not return from break for 30 minutes, the employer may reduce the worker's pay for the 15-minute extension.