Are there any exceptions to California’s meal and rest break rules?
HRCalifornia
Yes. California’s meal and rest break rules generally apply to most employees, but there are limited exceptions, usually industry-specific, found in the Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Orders. Examples include:
- Residential care employees —Wage Order 5
- Health care industry employees — Wage Orders 4 and 5
- Motion picture industry employees — Wage Order 12
- On-site construction, drilling, logging, and mining employees — Wage Order 16
Additional exceptions exist for employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement in
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