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Break Time Calculator

See the meal and rest breaks you get for your shift in any US state or the Philippines, which are paid, and when you clock out.

Choose your state or the Philippines, your start time and the hours you'll work. You'll see the breaks the law gives you, when to take them, which ones are paid, and when you clock out.

hours

Paid hours, without an unpaid lunch. 7.5 or 7:30 both work.

I know my

Quick pick shift length

Most unpaid lunches are 30 minutes or more.

Your breaks

Clock out at 5:30 PM

8 hours paid, 8 hours 30 min at work. Your 30 min of meal time is unpaid. 20 min of breaks are paid and inside your hours.

  1. 9:00 AMStart work
  2. 11:00 AM10-minute rest breakpaid11:00 AM–11:10 AM
  3. 1:00 PM30-minute mealunpaid1:00 PM–1:30 PM · must start by 2:00 PM
  4. 3:30 PM10-minute rest breakpaid3:30 PM–3:40 PM
  5. 5:30 PMClock out

The rule in California

A 30-minute meal before the end of the 5th hour of work, and a second before the end of the 10th. A paid 10-minute rest for every 4 hours or major fraction, none under 3½ hours.

You can waive the first meal if you work 6 hours or less, and the second if you work 12 hours or less and didn’t waive the first.

If you miss one: For each workday a meal or rest break isn’t provided, the employer owes 1 extra hour of pay (Labor Code §226.7).

For adult, hourly workers in private jobs. Minors, union contracts, some industries and salaried exempt staff can have different rules. Break times shown are suggestions inside the legal windows.

Quick answer

What breaks do you get in an 8-hour shift?

Federal law (US)

None required

Short breaks given must be paid; meals of 30+ min can be unpaid

California, 8 hours

30 + 2 × 10 min

Unpaid meal by the end of hour 5, two paid rests

Philippines

1-hour meal

Unpaid, so 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is 8 hours of work

Federal law doesn't require breaks, so it comes down to your state. These are the places with a break law for adults, for an 8-hour workday starting at 9 a.m.:

Meal and paid rest breaks required for an 8-hour shift
WhereMeal breakPaid rest breaks
Philippines60 min—
California30 min2 × 10 min paid
Colorado30 min2 × 10 min paid
Connecticut30 min—
Delaware30 min—
Illinois20 min—
Kentuckyreasonable2 × 10 min paid
Maine30 min—
Massachusetts30 min—
Minnesota30 min2 × 15 min paid
Nevada30 min2 × 10 min paid
New Hampshire30 min—
New York30 min—
North Dakota30 min—
Oregon30 min2 × 10 min paid
Rhode Island30 min—
Tennessee30 min—
Washington30 min2 × 10 min paid
West Virginia20 min—

All other states have no break law for adults: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming. Maryland and Nebraska rules cover only some employers, and Vermont requires reasonable time to eat and use the restroom, with no fixed length.

Do you get breaks? It depends on where you work

Most people assume there's a law that gives everyone a lunch break and two 15-minute breaks. In the US, there isn't one. Federal law doesn't require any break at all. What you're owed depends on your state: California gives a meal and two paid rests on an 8-hour day, Texas gives nothing, and Illinois gives a 20-minute meal but no rest breaks.

In the Philippines, the rule is the same everywhere: at least an hour off for meals, unpaid. That's why 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is an 8-hour workday, not 9.

This calculator puts the rule for your place into a schedule. It shows how many breaks you get, when they should start, which ones are paid, and what time you clock out.

How to use the calculator

Step 1

Choose where you work

Pick your US state or the Philippines. The rule that applies shows under your result.

Step 2

Enter your start and hours

Type your start time and either the hours you'll be paid for or the time you clock out. Leave the meal at the legal minimum, or pick the lunch you actually take.

Step 3

Read your schedule

You get each break with its time, whether it's paid, the latest time a meal can start, and your clock-out time. Copy it if you want to send it to yourself or your supervisor.

Which breaks are paid?

In the US, the rule comes from federal law even in states with no break law. Short breaks of 5 to about 20 minutes count as work time and must be paid. A meal of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid, but only if you're completely relieved of duty. If you eat at your desk while answering calls, it's work time and it's paid.

That's why rest breaks don't push back your clock-out time, and an unpaid lunch does. An 8-hour shift with a 30-minute lunch means 8½ hours at work.

In the Philippines, the 1-hour meal is unpaid time off. A shortened meal of 20 to 59 minutes is paid. Coffee breaks of 5 to 20 minutes aren't required, but when they're given they count as hours worked.

Example: an 8-hour shift in California

Let's say you start at 9:00 a.m. and work 8 hours. California gives you a 30-minute meal that must start before the end of your 5th hour, and a paid 10-minute rest for every 4 hours.

9:00 a.m. start · 11:00 a.m. paid 10-minute rest

1:00 p.m. unpaid 30-minute meal (must start by 2:00 p.m.)

3:30 p.m. paid 10-minute rest

5:30 p.m. clock out: 8½ hours at work, 8 hours paid

If your employer starts your meal at 2:30 p.m., it's late, and California says they owe you an extra hour of pay for that day. If you need to know when you'll reach your hours with a different lunch, change the meal length and the clock-out time moves.

Breaks in the Philippines

Article 85 of the Labor Code says every employer must give at least 60 minutes off for regular meals. That hour isn't paid and isn't counted in your 8 hours. So a typical day of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with lunch from 12 to 1, is exactly 8 hours of work.

The implementing rules allow a shorter meal of at least 20 minutes in four cases: non-manual work that isn't strenuous, businesses that operate 16 hours or more a day, emergencies or urgent machine repairs, and work to prevent loss of perishable goods. A shortened meal is counted as paid work time, so an 8-hour day with a 30-minute paid lunch runs 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

To check the hours between any two times, like "8am to 5pm is how many hours", use the AM–PM Calculator.

What happens if you don't get your break

  • California: 1 extra hour of pay for each day a meal break isn't provided, and another for each day a rest break isn't.
  • Colorado: every missed 10-minute rest is paid as 10 more minutes of work.
  • Minnesota: since 2026, workers can recover pay and damages for missed breaks.
  • Everywhere in the US: if you work through a meal, that time is work time and must be paid.
  • Philippines: work done during your meal hour is hours worked and must be paid. Report a denied meal to the nearest DOLE office.

Tips for getting your breaks right

  • Watch the meal deadline, not just the length. In California, Washington and Illinois, a meal that starts too late breaks the rule even if it's long enough.
  • Clock out for unpaid meals only. Rest breaks are paid. If your timekeeping deducts them, your pay is short.
  • Check your handbook. Many employers give more than the law, and union contracts can set different rules.
  • Keep your own record. Write down the times of your breaks for a few weeks if you think they're being cut short. Your timesheet or DTR is evidence.

Questions about breaks

Does federal law require breaks?

No. The Fair Labor Standards Act doesn’t require meal or rest breaks for adults. It only says how breaks are paid: short breaks of 5 to about 20 minutes count as work time, and a meal of 30 minutes or more can be unpaid if you’re fully relieved of duty.

Do I get a 15-minute break every 4 hours?

Only in some states, and usually 10 minutes. California, Colorado, Kentucky, Nevada, Oregon and Washington require a paid 10-minute rest per 4 hours. Minnesota requires 15 minutes within each 4 consecutive hours since 2026. Most other states require none.

How many breaks do I get in an 8-hour shift in California?

One unpaid 30-minute meal that starts before the end of your 5th hour, and two paid 10-minute rest breaks. Starting at 9 a.m., you’d clock out at 5:30 p.m.

Is a 30-minute lunch break paid?

Usually not, as long as you’re completely relieved of duty. If you have to keep working, answer calls or stay at your station, the time is work time and must be paid.

How long is the lunch break in the Philippines?

At least 60 minutes, unpaid, under Article 85 of the Labor Code. It can be shortened to no less than 20 minutes only in specific cases, and then it’s paid and counted as hours worked.

8am to 5pm is how many hours of work?

8 hours, with a 1-hour unpaid lunch. That’s the standard workday in the Philippines. With a 30-minute unpaid lunch, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. is 8½ hours of work.

Can I skip my lunch to leave early?

It depends on where you work. In California you can only waive the meal if you work 6 hours or less. In the Philippines the meal hour is required; if you work through it, that time counts as hours worked. Ask your employer first, since many don’t allow it.

Sources

  • 29 C.F.R. §785.18 and §785.19 (federal rules on rest and meal periods); U.S. Department of Labor, state meal period and paid rest period tables
  • California Labor Code §§512 and 226.7 and IWC Wage Orders; Colorado COMPS Order Rule 5 and INFO #4 (2025); Nevada NRS 608.019 and NAC 608.145; Oregon OAR 839-020-0050; Washington WAC 296-126-092; Kentucky KRS 337.355 and 337.365
  • Minnesota Statutes §§177.253 and 177.254 as amended effective January 1, 2026 (Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry)
  • Illinois One Day Rest in Seven Act, 820 ILCS 140/3, as amended January 1, 2023; New York Labor Law §162
  • Philippines: Labor Code Art. 85; Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code, Book III, Rule I, Sec. 7