In Arizona, the state does not mandate 15-minute breaks for employees. However, employers may provide such breaks as part of their company policies.
In most states, breaks are required by law. The employer has to, by law, enforce that employees take those breaks. If they fail to do so, it opens them up to very expensive lawsuits. I recall a decade or two back, The Gap has a massive settlement in the state of California over employees working through breaks.
Arizona Labor Laws Guide Arizona Labor Laws FAQ Arizona minimum wages$14.35 per hour Arizona overtime laws 1.5 times the regular wage for any time worked over 40 hours/week ($19.20 for minimum wage workers) Arizona break laws Breaks not required by law
Are 15-minute breaks required by law in Arizona? In Arizona, the state does not mandate 15-minute breaks for employees. However, employers may provide such breaks as part of their company policies.
If you wish to report a widespread violation of labor law by your employer or a violation affecting multiple employees, please contact LETF via phone, online lead referral form or email: Call the LETF Public hotline anytime: 855 297 5322. Complete the Online Form / Spanish Form. Email us at letf@dir.ca.
There is no federal law or Arizona state law that says employers must provide breaks and lunches. There are mandatory break and lunch period laws in some other states, but not Arizona.
The Professional Exemption sets out eight specific professions (law, medicine, dentistry, optometry, architecture, engineering, teaching, and accounting) that are exempt from the first 12 sections of the Wage Orders. It also addresses certain other professions, including nurses, pharmacists and software coders.
Employers who make it difficult or impossible for their workers to take these legally-protected breaks owe their workers compensation for forcing them to miss their breaks. Should they fail to provide this compensation, these employers could face a lawsuit based on California law.
In general, when an individual resides in California, they are subject to California's comprehensive and protective labor laws regardless of where their employer is located. California laws also apply to those who are legal residents of other states but are working in California.