Missouri Law about Lunch Breaks? You Probably Deserve Better

I don't think I'm revealing anything you don't already know if you follow things I share, but I am not the resource most turn to when they need serious legal advice. However, I am a working person like you probably are and I have questions sometimes about things like lunch breaks. Do you get what you deserve under Missouri law? My guess is probably not.

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I saw a European site called Energy Portal exploring the issue of lunch breaks in Missouri because we all know that everyone in Amsterdam thinks about how we spend our free time and yes, that's sarcasm. To their credit, they pointed out some things I didn't know about lunch breaks which made me question how many of us are not getting what the law requires.

Did you know that if you work 5 hours, you're required to be allowed a 30 minute break and it can't be later than the 3rd hour you work? The lunch break cannot be at the beginning or end of your shift.

It is legal for an employee who works 6 hours or less to waive their lunch break, but they must voluntarily agree to it.

Here's the Missouri lunch break thing I think is being violated more often than most will admit. Did you know that your lunch break must be uninterrupted and cannot involve any work-related stuff? I'm not complaining because it's not like my job is hard, but I can't remember ANY lunch breaks that I've ever had that were not interrupted with a question or an issue that needed to be dealt with.

I believe that most businesses are well-intended and I have no doubt they post the Missouri employment documents in the break room. But, I bet if details were audited, there would be many who would be found in violation of some fundamental "give your people a break" mandates.