Are there any situations where an employer might be legally required to change an employee’s meal break schedule?

Yes. Although employers generally may set meal and rest break schedules, they may need to adjust meal periods as a reasonable accommodation in certain situations, for example:

Disability accommodation: Employers may need to modify meal period timing for employees with disabilities, such as diabetes requiring specific meal times to manage blood sugar levels.

Religious accommodation: Employers may need to adjust meal periods for sincerely held religious practices, such as scheduled prayer times.

Even for reasonable accommodations, the meal period must still begin before the end of the