30 / 45 / 20 minutes — non-factory meal break structure.
New York Labor Law § 162 sets meal period requirements based on shift timing and length. Non-factory workers (most retail, hospitality, healthcare, and office workers) get a 30-minute lunch break in the 11am-2pm window; a 45-minute meal at the midpoint of shifts starting between 1pm and 6am; and an additional 20-minute meal between 5pm-7pm for shifts that start before 11am and extend past 7pm. Factory workers get more (see Factory Meal Periods).
Non-Factory Meal Period Compliance
Detects shift patterns that trigger meal periods. Schedules required breaks in worker app. Logs duty-free time per shift. Flags interruptions or skipped breaks for compliance review.
What the rule does for shifts triggering meal periods.
The hero card configuration: Avoid on schedule without break, Flag on per-shift compliance. Here's what each does at runtime.
When a manager publishes a 6+ hour shift without a scheduled meal break in the appropriate window, Teambridge surfaces an alert. The required meal break for the shift type is shown.
The worker app prompts the meal break at the appropriate time. Worker confirms taken (with start/end timestamps), short, interrupted, or skipped. Compliance log per shift.
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Three triggers, three rules. Timing matters.
NY's meal period rules are timing-based, not just length-based. The 11am-2pm lunch window, the 1pm-6am shift start window, and the 5pm-7pm dinner window each have specific rules.
Lunch break: 30 minutes, 11am-2pm window
If a non-factory worker's shift is more than 6 hours and extends over the 11am-2pm window, they're entitled to at least 30 minutes off within that window. A worker on a 9am-5pm shift gets 30 min between 11am-2pm. A worker on an 8am-1pm shift (5 hours) gets no meal period — under 6 hours. A worker on a 6am-12pm shift (6 hours, but ending at 12pm) is also entitled to 30 min.
Afternoon/night shifts: 45 minutes, midpoint
For shifts of 6+ hours starting between 1pm and 6am, the meal period is 45 minutes at the midpoint of the shift. A bartender on a 5pm-1am shift (8 hours) gets 45 min around 9pm. The 'midway' is approximate — courts allow reasonable variation based on operational needs.
Teambridge schedules the right meal period for the shift type.
NY's three timing-based rules are easy to forget — especially the additional 20-minute break for long shifts that span dinner. Teambridge handles all three by structure.
Trigger by start time and length.
When a shift is created, Teambridge detects which meal period rule applies based on (a) shift length, (b) start time, (c) whether the shift spans the noonday or dinner windows. The required meal period is reserved in the schedule.
Notification at appropriate time.
Worker app surfaces a meal break notification at the right time (within the 11am-2pm window for lunch, at midpoint for afternoon/night shifts, in the 5pm-7pm window for the additional 20 min).
Worker clocks out for meal.
Worker clocks out for meal break. If interrupted (manager pings, work resumes early), the interruption is logged. Duty-free time tracked per shift.
Audit defense.
Each shift's meal-period compliance status is logged: on-time / late (under 6 hours: not required; 6+ hours: violation) / interrupted / skipped (with reason). Defensible against private lawsuits and DOL audits.
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