Purpose
Break rules define, assign, and enforce meal and rest break policies centrally: when a break is due, what happens when it is missed (auto-deduct or flag), premium pay for missed breaks, and employee attestation. Configured well, they keep time tracking, payroll, and compliance audits consistent.
When to use this: before employees start punching. No break rules exist by default, and employees cannot record a break until a rule is assigned to them. Create one rule per break type you owe (for example a 30-minute unpaid meal and a 10-minute paid rest) and assign the rules to the employees they cover.
Who can do this: users with permission to manage Time Tracking settings (typically the Employer Admin).
Steps: Create a break rule
- From the Time Tracking sidebar, click Time Tracking Settings, switch to the Break Rules tab, and click Add Break Rule. The tab's intro sets the intent: "You can create break rules in compliance with the FLSA act and your agreements with employees." Existing rules are listed with columns Break Code / Break Name / Type.
[Screenshot: Break Rules tab]
The Add Break Rule form is organized into accordion sections — Break Details, Break Eligibility and Missed Break Identification, Resolving Missed Breaks, Break Guardrails, Employee Notifications, Manager Notifications, and Assignment (Assign to Employees) — matching the sections below. Finish with Save or Cancel.
- Enter the required break details:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| Break Code | Unique alphanumeric ID for reporting/integrations (e.g., "MB30"). Maximum 15 characters; special characters are rejected with "Special characters like =,\,/, $, ", %, -, + are not allowed". |
| Break Name | Employee-facing name shown while punched in (e.g., "30-Minute Lunch Break"). Maximum 50 characters; same special-character rule as Break Code. |
| Break Category | Meal (longer, off-duty) or Rest (short recovery). Multiple rules allowed per category. Locked once the break rule has associated time entries. |
| Break Type | Paid — counts as working time, included in OT/double-OT calculations. Unpaid — deducted from pay, excluded from OT. Locked once the break rule has associated time entries. |
| Break Duration | Whole minutes (e.g., 30). Drives short/long-break evaluation, auto-ends, and notifications. |
Break eligibility (when a break is due)
Choose one of two modes. When to use which: Recurring suits a simple "a break every N hours" policy that scales with shift length. Custom suits state-mandated windows (for example, a meal break that must start before the end of the fifth hour) where each break needs its own timing. Custom is also the only mode that supports break waivers.
A. Recurring time interval. "Employees receive a break if they work more than X hours Y minutes," then "repeat every X hours Y minutes." UZIO does not prevent earlier breaks unless guardrails are on. It marks eligibility so an untaken break can be flagged as missed.
B. Custom time interval. Define each break individually (Break 1, Break 2, ...) with the entry duration that makes it apply and the mandatory window ("must be taken after ___ / before ___ from the start of the entry"). The window determines taken versus missed.
Note: The eligibility mode (Setup Break By) is locked once the break rule has associated time entries.
Resolving missed breaks
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Auto action | Deduct Missing Break inserts the break into the time entry, adjusting worked time and payroll totals. Flag Missing Break leaves the entry unchanged and adds a missed-break flag for review. |
| Placement | Where the deducted or flagged break lands in the entry: start, middle, or end of the eligible window, or a custom offset (for example, 1 hour in). |
| Break Premium | Award X hours and minutes of extra paid time per missed or short break, sent to payroll under the designated earning code. Capped at 1 hour of premium per break category per time entry. Two missed 1-hour-premium meal breaks on one entry still pay 1 hour. |
| Break Attestation | At clock-out, an employee with a missed break must choose: "Yes, I took this break" (inserts it), "No, I was prevented by work," or "I had the opportunity, but I freely chose not to take this break." The choice and any note are recorded on the entry, and the rule's policy (such as a premium) applies to the answer. |
[Screenshot: Resolving Missed Breaks section; use demo data]
Note: The Placement drop-down appears for either auto action. The Break Premium fields and the Break attestation required? checkbox appear only when the auto action is Flag Missing Break. With Deduct selected, the break is inserted without a premium or an attestation prompt.
Expected outcome
- Assigned employees see their break options while punched in; eligibility windows drive missed-break detection.
- Missed breaks resolve consistently (deduction or flag), premiums flow to payroll automatically, and attestation answers are audit-ready.
Warning: Paid versus Unpaid is not cosmetic. Paid breaks count toward overtime thresholds; unpaid breaks reduce paid time. Misclassifying a meal break inflates or deflates overtime.
Common mistake: Setting eligibility with no attestation or premium and assuming compliance is handled. If your state requires meal-break premiums (California, for example), configure the premium and attestation. A flag alone pays nobody.
Note: Waivers (employees opting out of breaks) and guardrails (preventing early or short breaks, auto-ending long ones) are covered in Allowing Break Waivers and Enforcing Break Guardrails.
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