What is the standard lunch period for employees?

Employees receive a one-hour unpaid meal period during their work shift.

During this time, employees must be fully relieved of all duties for the purpose of eating.

The meal period cannot be used to change arrival or departure times by skipping lunch or leaving early.

This policy does not apply to:

Uniformed members of the Departments of Safety & Homeland Security and Revenue
Wildlife Officers and Park Rangers
Department of Transportation employees in these roles:
- Highway Response Operator 1 or 2
- Highway Response Supervisor 1 or 2
- Communications Dispatcher 1 or 2
- Transportation Management Center Operator
- Transportation Management Center Supervisor 1 or 2
Non-administrative staff of the Departments of Children’s Services or Correction
Employees working in hospitals or institutions under the Departments of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Examples:

Example 1: An employee works 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., then uses annual leave. They worked 5 hours and used 2.5 hours of leave.
Example 2: An employee works 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., takes a 1-hour lunch, then uses annual leave. They worked 4 hours and used 3.5 hours of leave.