Rest breaks and meal breaks
A rest break allows an employee to rest for a short period of time during work hours. Rest breaks are also referred to as ‘crib breaks’, ‘rest pauses’ or ‘tea breaks’.
A meal break is a longer period of uninterrupted rest that allows the employee to eat a meal.
Awards, enterprise agreements and other registered agreements provide for paid and unpaid rest breaks and meal breaks, including:
- the length of the breaks
- when they need to be taken
- the rules about payment.
Breaks between shifts
Awards and registered agreements may provide for a minimum amount of time off between the end of one shift and the start of another.
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