Legality of breaks on 10 hour work days?
I work as a day camp counselor for the YMCA in Washington state. I work 10 hour days during which I watch kids the entire time including eating lunch with them. All of the counselors work 40 hour weeks. We are only offered 30 minute breaks if we ask for them, which no one does. Is this legal?
The 30 minute breaks are also unpaid.
Federal law does not mandate breaks and lunches (many will claim that it does, but they are wrong).
Washington state has the following to say about lunch breaks.
If more than 5 hours are worked in a shift:
Workers must be allowed at least a 30 minute meal period.
Workers must be at least two hours into the shift before the meal time can start.
The meal time cannot start more than five hours after the beginning of the shift.
By the wording…must be allowed, does not say that they cannot allow them in the same area that you work. They just have to give you 30 minutes to eat, and there is no requirement that they volunteer the 30 minutes. They can say that you get it if you ask.