The number of breaks an employee is entitled to during a 12 hour shift in Florida depends on a few factors:
Meal Break Requirements
Under Florida labor laws, employees that work a shift of more than 6 consecutive hours are entitled to an unpaid 30 minute meal break. This meal break should be given somewhere in the middle of the shift, although the exact timing is not specified.
For a 12 hour shift, employees must receive at minimum 1 unpaid 30 minute meal break. However, many employers choose to provide additional meal breaks for longer shifts.
Rest Break Requirements
Florida law does not require employers to provide rest breaks or coffee breaks. However, many employers choose to allow short paid breaks as a matter of policy. Typical rest break practices for a 12 hour shift include:
- 1 paid 10-15 minute break in the morning
- 1 paid 10-15 minute break in the afternoon
So in summary, the legal requirement is only 1 unpaid 30 minute meal break. However, many employers provide additional meal and paid rest breaks on top of this minimum standard, especially for longer 12 hour shift schedules.
Typical Break Schedule for a 12 Hour Shift
Here is an example of a typical break schedule for a 12 hour shift in Florida:
| Time | Break |
|---|---|
| 10:00 am | 15 minute paid rest break |
| 1:00 pm | 30 minute unpaid meal break |
| 3:30 pm | 15 minute paid rest break |
So in total, this schedule has 1 unpaid meal break and 2 paid rest breaks within the 12 hour work day.
Break Requirements for Minors
There are different legal break requirements in Florida for minor employees under the age of 18:
- Minors must receive a 30 minute meal break before their 4th consecutive hour of work
- Minors must receive a 10-15 minute paid rest break for every 4 hours of work
So minor employees working a 12 hour shift would be entitled to extra rest breaks compared to adult employees – generally 3 paid 10-15 minute breaks and 1 unpaid 30 minute meal break.
Exceptions to Break Requirements
There are some exceptions where employers do not have to provide meal and rest breaks:
- Employees in certain exempt roles, like executive or professional positions
- Certain jobs where taking breaks is very difficult, like public safety roles
However, these exceptions are fairly limited. The general rule is that most employees working a 12 hour shift are entitled to at minimum 1 unpaid 30 minute meal break under Florida law.
Conclusion
While Florida law only requires one 30 minute meal break for a 12 hour shift, most employers provide additional rest breaks as a matter of policy. A common schedule is to have two paid 10-15 minute rest breaks and one unpaid 30 minute meal break spread throughout the 12 hour workday. However, employers should consult Florida labor laws for any additional requirements based on the nature of the work or age of employees.
