Can I have a lunch break at work?
It depends on the length of the working day: yes, if you work over 6 hours. Under the Labour Code (art. 134), when the daily work duration is more than 6 hours, employees are entitled to a lunch break and other breaks, under the conditions set by the collective agreement or internal rules. For adults, the exact duration is not set by law but regulated through the collective agreement or the company's internal rules — in practice, usually 30–60 minutes. Young people under 18 get a lunch break of at least 30 minutes if the daily work duration exceeds 4.5 hours. The general rule: the lunch break is not included in actual working time (it's added to the schedule), unless the contract or internal rules expressly provide otherwise. In short: over 6 hours of work — you're entitled to a lunch break, with a duration set by the internal rules.
📋 The rules
- Over 6 hours/day: entitled to a lunch break (adults)
- Duration: set by internal rules/agreement (usually 30–60 min)
- Minors under 18: at least 30 min over 4.5 hours
- The break, as a rule, is not included in working time
- Paid only if set through negotiation
🔓 Exceptions
- Break included in the schedule: only if the contract/rules provide it
- Paid break: only through collective negotiation or contract
- Under 6 hours of work: a lunch break isn't mandatory by law
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The lunch break is a right when you work over 6 hours a day, and the employer must provide it in the internal rules. Failing this duty or the break rules can be reported to the Labour Inspectorate (ITM). Note, though: the break is usually not included in paid working time, so it's added to the schedule, and the employer isn't obliged to pay it unless agreed through collective negotiation. To know your rights: check the internal rules and collective agreement for the break's duration and how it's granted, make sure that over 6 hours of work you get a break, and for minors check the minimum 30-minute break. If the break is systematically denied, you can contact the ITM.
📎 Official sources
- Labour Code (Law 53/2003) · art. 134 →
- Labour Code · the lunch break and daily rest →
- Labour Inspectorate →
❓ Frequently asked
When am I entitled to a lunch break?
When the daily work duration is more than 6 hours, you're entitled to a lunch break and other breaks, under the conditions set by the collective agreement or internal rules. For a working day shorter than 6 hours, a lunch break isn't mandatory by law.
How long is the lunch break?
For adults, the exact duration isn't set by law but by the collective agreement or the company's internal rules. In practice, most employers offer 30 to 60 minutes. For minors, the break is at least 30 minutes over 4.5 hours of work.
Is the lunch break included in working time?
The general rule is that the lunch break isn't included in actual working time. That means if the schedule provides over 6 hours of work, the lunch break is added to the schedule, unless the individual contract or internal rules expressly provide otherwise.
Is the lunch break paid?
Usually not. The employer isn't obliged to pay the lunch break as working time unless this is set through collective negotiation or contract. Absent such a provision, the break is unpaid rest time, added to the length of the working day.
Do minors have special break rules?
Yes. Young people under 18 get a lunch break of at least 30 minutes if the daily work duration exceeds 4.5 hours. It's an extra protection for minors, whose threshold for the mandatory break is lower than the 6 hours applicable to adults.
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