I read an article today by a contractor that decided to check up on his crew’s break times. At the start of break, the crew jumped in a truck, drove 15 minutes to a doughnut shop, had coffee and a doughnut or two, drove 15 minutes back to the job site. Total time for the morning break was right at 45 minutes.
He calculated what he paid for that time, and it hurt.
How much time do your crews take for breaks? Do you know how much break time you are paying for? It’s appropriate to allow for breaks in the morning and afternoon, but you need to establish limits on how long, especially since you’re paying for that time.
In my opinion, ten minutes in the morning and afternoon is appropriate. That’s also what a handful of states mandate, although there is no federal law that requires morning and afternoon breaks.
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Lunch or meal breaks are different. You should provide time for a meal during a full-day shift, but you aren’t required to pay for the time and most employers don’t.
Construction work can be taxing and it’s appropriate to give a time of rest. Paul Harvey might not have been as famous if it weren’t for construction workers sitting around a radio eating their brown bag lunch. But if you’re paying for 45 minute donut runs every morning, it’s time to tighten up your policies.
The Bottom Line:
No federal law requires morning or afternoon breaks — only a handful of states mandate them, typically ten paid minutes each. Lunch is different: provide time for a meal on a full-day shift, but the time is generally unpaid. Michael Stone’s point for employers: a break stretched into a 45-minute doughnut run is all paid time.
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The knowledge and experience Michael Stone gained in his 60+ years in construction has helped thousands of contractors improve their businesses. He is the author of Markup & Profit Revisited, Profitable Sales, and Estimating Construction Profitably, and is available for one-on-one consultations. More here.
