Setting Up and Using Break Rules

Break Rules help you to automatically add breaks to employee shifts. This ensures compliance with labor laws and reduces legal risks. It also saves time by eliminating the manual scheduling of breaks, and employees benefit from consistent breaks.

This article covers:

• Adding new Break Rules
  • Adding Rest Breaks
  • Adding Meal Breaks
• Editing Break Rules
• Deactivating Break Rules
• Deleting Break Rules
• Using Break Rules

Permissions

Only employees with the Can access break rules and compliance settings permission can add or modify break rules. You can add this permission to an employee role from Settings > Company Settings > Permissions.

Adding New Break Rules

To add a break rule:

1. From the menu bar, select the Settings  icon. The system displays the Settings menu.
2. From the Company Setting section, select Break Rules.
   
   
   The Break Rules screen displays. Existing break rules, if any, appear on this page.
   
   
3. Select New Break Rule. The New Break Rule popup displays.
   
4. Enter the following information:
   • Rule Name – Use a name that helps you identify the break rule.
   • Description – A description of the new rule. This is optional.
   • Rest Breaks – Select Add Rest Break to add a new rest break. See the Adding Rest Breaks section of this article for more information.
   • Meal Breaks – Select Add Meal Break to add a meal break. See the Adding Meal Breaks section of this article for more information.
5. Select Apply to Stores. A list of stores you have access to displays.
   
6. Using the checkbox, select store(s) to apply the new break rule.
7. Under Scope, select one of the following options for each store you select: 

• All Employees – Every employee working at the store, no matter their type.
• Non-exempt Employees – Non-salaried employees, often paid by the hour and must take breaks at set times by law.
• Exempt Employees – Salaried employees who don't need to take breaks at set times by law.

Note: You can define the compensation type for employees on the Employment Information tab of the Employee Settings page.

1. Select Save & Close to save the new break rule as a draft. Save & Activate to save and instantly activate the new rule.

Your new break rule now appears in the Break Rules page.

Adding Rest Breaks

Rest breaks are short breaks during work hours, usually lasting 10-15 minutes. They help employees recharge and stay focused. Rest breaks are always paid breaks in Scheduling+.

You can add a rest break while adding a new break rule or modifying an existing break rule.

1. On the New Break Rule popup, select Add Rest Break.
2. In the Available from drop-down, select one of the following options:
   • Start of Shift Duration – The employee is eligible for the break from the start of the shift duration. They can take the break anytime during or after the specified duration has passed. For example, if a rest break is set to be available for a 3-hour shift duration and "Start of Shift Duration" is selected, an employee who clocks in at 10:00 AM can take the break at 11:00 AM or 11:30 AM during their 3-hour shift.
   • End of Shift Duration – The employee becomes eligible for the break only after completing the specified shift duration. For example, if a rest break is set to be available after a 3-hour shift duration and "End of Shift Duration" is selected, an employee who clocks in at 10:00 AM can take the break only at 1:00 PM, after completing the full 3-hour shift.
3. In the Break Duration (Mins) field, enter the duration of the break.
4. In the Shift Duration field, enter the number of hours or minutes the employee must work to be eligible for the break.
5. Select the Optional checkbox if the break is optional. Leaving the Optional checkbox empty makes the break mandatory. The store managers can review when employees miss mandatory breaks.
6. To make the break recurring, check the Recurring checkbox.  Note that if you make the break recurring, you can no longer manually add more rest breaks to the rule.

Adding Meal Breaks

Meal breaks are longer breaks, typically 30 minutes to an hour, for eating and resting. You can add a meal break while adding a new break rule or modifying an existing break rule.

1. On the New Break Rule popup, select Add Meal Break.
2. In the Available from drop-down, select one of the following options:
   • Start of Shift Duration – The employee is eligible for the break from the start of the shift duration. They can take the break anytime during or after the specified duration has passed. For example, if a rest break is set to be available for a 3-hour shift duration and "Start of Shift Duration" is selected, an employee who clocks in at 10:00 AM can take the break at 11:00 AM or 11:30 AM during their 3-hour shift.
   • End of Shift Duration – The employee becomes eligible for the break only after completing the specified shift duration. For example, if a meal break is set to be available after a 3-hour shift duration and "End of Shift Duration" is selected, an employee who clocks in at 10:00 AM can take the break only at 1:00 PM, after completing the full 3-hour shift.
3. In the Break Duration (Mins) field, enter the duration of the break.
4. In the Shift Duration field, enter the number of hours or minutes the employee must work to be eligible for the break.
5. Select the Optional checkbox if the break is optional. Leaving the Optional checkbox empty makes the break mandatory. The store managers can review when employees miss mandatory breaks.
6. To make the break recurring, check the Recurring checkbox.  Note that if you make the break recurring, you can no longer manually add more breaks to the rule.

Select the delete icon  next to a break to delete it from the break rule.

Editing Break Rules

To edit an existing break rule:

1. From the menu bar, select the Settings  icon. The system displays the Settings menu.
2. From the Company Setting section, select Break Rules. The Break Rules screen displays.
3. Select the edit icon next to the break rule you want to edit. The Edit Break Rule popup displays the selected break rule.
   
4. Make changes as needed and select Save & Close or Save & Activate.

Deactivating a Break Rule

To deactivate an existing break rule:

1. From the menu bar, select the Settings  icon. The system displays the Settings menu.
2. From the Company Setting section, select Break Rules. The Break Rules screen displays.
3. Select the edit icon next to the break rule you want to deactivate. The Edit Break Rule popup displays the selected break rule.
4. Select Deactivate. The Deactivate Break Rule pop-up displays.
5. Review the information and select Deactivate to confirm.
   

This completes deactivating break rules.

Deleting break rules

To delete a break rule:

1. From the menu bar, select the Settings  icon. The system displays the Settings menu.
2. From the Company Setting section, select Break Rules. The Break Rules screen displays.
   

Select the delete icon  next to a break rule to delete it.

Using Break Rules

When you create and activate a break rule for a store, the application adds breaks to all existing shifts starting after the activation in that store for the applicable employees. Any new shift you add also gets breaks according to your break rule for the applicable employees.

Note:

• Past shifts or ongoing shifts are not affected by the newly created rule.
• Break rules replace any manual breaks for applicable employees.

When you assign a new shift to an employee, the application automatically adds breaks according to your break rule.

You can change the shift start and end time as you normally do. The application calculates the number of breaks needed according to your rule and automatically adds them to your shift plan.

You cannot edit or delete breaks added as part of a break rule. However, if you are managing shifts for employees for whom break rules are not applicable, you can manually add breaks.

Tracking and Resolving Missed Breaks

To help you comply with rules and regulations, the application alerts you when employees miss mandatory breaks in their timesheets.

Note: The application also displays an alert when an employee takes an early break before completing the specified shift duration. 

To view missed breaks:

1. From the menu bar, select Time Clock and then choose Store Employees ’Payroll. The Payroll screen displays the list of your employees.
2. Select the employee you want to view. The timesheet for the selected employee displays.
3. You can see the missed breaks in the BREAK ALERTS column. Note: Only mandatory breaks appear here as BREAK ALERTS.
4. Select the alert to view more information on missed breaks. A pop-up displays the time, type, and duration of the missed break.

Resolving a Missed Break

After you take the necessary action, you can resolve a missed break alert.

1. Select EDIT MODE. The timesheet switches to edit mode.
   
2. Select the break alert you want to resolve.
3. Select Mark as Resolved. The break alert changes color to green and displays Resolved.

Adding a Missed Break Back to a Timesheet

Managers can manually add breaks to shifts. For example, the employee took a break but forgot to punch out in the application.

1. Select EDIT MODE. The timesheet switches to edit mode.
2. Select the Add Break  icon. The Create Break Entry pop-up displays.
   
3. Use the Break Type toggle to mark this as a rest break or a meal break.
4. Enter Break Out and Break In time to mark the start and end of the break.
5. Select Save.