Workers under 16 get a 30-minute meal break after 5 continuous hours.
Illinois has a specific minor meal break rule that's stricter than ODRISA: workers under 16 must receive at least a 30-minute meal break for every 5 continuous hours worked. This is in addition to (not in lieu of) ODRISA's 20-minute break for shifts of 7.5+ hours. Most under-16 work shifts are short enough that ODRISA doesn't apply, but the minor break rule does.
Minor Meal Break Enforcement
Auto-inserts a 30-minute meal break in any 5+ hour shift for workers under 16. Stricter than ODRISA's 20-minute break for adult workers. Blocks publishing without it.
What those rules do as a 5+ hour under-16 shift is built.
The hero card configuration: Block publish without break, Flag as a separate break from ODRISA.
When a manager tries to publish a 5+ hour shift for a worker under 16 without a scheduled 30-minute break, the publish is blocked. "Cannot publish: minors under 16 require a 30-minute meal break after 5 hours."
For very long under-16 shifts (rare given hour caps), Teambridge surfaces both the minor break (30 min after 5 hours) and the ODRISA break (20 min on 7.5+ shifts) as separate, additional requirements.
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Stricter than adult rule, separate statute.
The minor meal break is in the Child Labor Law, not ODRISA. Workers under 16 get more break (30 min vs. 20 min) at a lower threshold (5 hours vs. 7.5 hours).
5-hour trigger, 30-minute duration
Any worker under 16 working 5 or more continuous hours must receive at least a 30-minute meal break. The break can come during the shift; it doesn't have to be at exactly 5 hours. The trigger is shift duration, not break placement.
Bona fide meal period
The break must be bona fide — the worker must be fully relieved of duty. A 30-minute break during which the worker is still expected to answer phones, watch the floor, or perform other duties doesn't count. Federal FLSA guidance on bona fide meal periods applies (29 CFR § 785.19).
Teambridge applies the minor rule at the right age and shift length.
Most under-16 shifts in Illinois don't reach 5 hours — but when they do, the break is mandatory and the publish gate is the simplest enforcement.
Under-16 worker tag drives logic.
When a worker is under 16, the minor break rule is the controlling break rule. ODRISA's adult rule is replaced for these workers.
5-hour trigger checked at publish.
When a shift exceeds 5 continuous hours for a worker under 16, the system requires a 30-minute meal break to be scheduled. Without it, publish fails.
Worker app captures clock-out/in.
Workers clock out at the start of break and back in at end. The system verifies the actual break duration met the 30-minute requirement.
ODRISA + minor rule for long shifts.
For under-16 shifts exceeding 7.5 hours (uncommon given hour caps), the system requires breaks satisfying both rules. The 30-minute minor break also satisfies ODRISA's 20-minute requirement.
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