Heads up: If your firm has hourly employees who work through lunch or break periods, you could be at risk of being force-fed the lawsuit du jour.
In recent years, several state supreme courts have ruled that employers can be held liable for up to four years of back pay and/or overtime for violations of mandatory breaks. Ever since, there’s been a wave of employee lawyers around the country looking to cash in.
Two key steps for avoiding trouble:
- verify your state laws on mandatory lunch and/or rest breaks, and
- remind supervisors to insist non-exempt employees take their breaks, even if the employee says he or she wants to skip them.