In Kentucky, as in many other states, there are certain breaks built into the law. Employers are required to give workers these breaks at the correct times. Some employers are hesitant to do so because it may impact productivity, so it’s important for employees to understand their rights.
Generally speaking, the law stipulates that employees should get a 10-minute break every time they work for four hours in a row. So an employee who is working a standard eight-hour day should get roughly 20 minutes, split up into two separate breaks.
The law also specifies that this is supposed to be in addition to the lunch break that the employee is given. The rest breaks are not offered in exchange, forcing the employee to choose. They should still get the lunch period off as scheduled, along with two rest breaks.
Pay rates cannot be altered
Another important point that the law states is that employers cannot reduce compensation for workers who are on salary or who have an hourly wage.
In other words, an employer may be tempted to reduce all employees’ wages to minimum wage when they are taking their rest breaks, trying to minimize the amount they have to pay while people are not actively working. But employees deserve to be paid their standard rate for these rest breaks, so this manipulation of pay rates is not allowed.
Taking legal action
Do you feel that your boss may have violated your rights on the job, perhaps by illegally changing your pay or denying breaks? Take the time to look into all of your legal options.
