Can the meal period requirement be waived for a working lunch?
HRCalifornia
No. A meal period cannot be waived for a working lunch.
A working lunch is considered hours worked for nonexempt employees because they are not relieved of all duty.
If an uninterrupted 30-minute meal period is not provided before the end of the fifth hour of work, the employer must pay for the working lunch and an additional one-hour premium for the meal period violation.
A working lunch may also trigger overtime. For example, an employee working 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a one-hour working lunch works nine hours: eight hours at straight time, one hour
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