Break Management

Learn how to start, track, and end your breaks during shifts while ensuring compliance with workplace break requirements and labor regulations.

Overview

The Break Management feature allows you to track breaks during your workday, ensuring you take appropriate rest and meal periods as required by company policy and labor regulations. The system tracks when breaks start and end, calculates break durations, and helps ensure compliance.

Understanding Break Types

Your workplace may have several types of breaks configured:

• Meal Breaks: Longer breaks for meals (typically 30 minutes)
• Rest Breaks: Shorter breaks to rest (typically 10-15 minutes)
• Extended Breaks: Longer breaks for special circumstances

Each break type has specific characteristics:

• Required or Optional: Some breaks are mandatory by law or company policy
• Duration: The expected length of the break
• Paid or Unpaid: Whether you’re compensated during the break

Starting a Break

When you need to take a break during your shift:

1. From your active shift screen, click the Breaks tab
2. You’ll see a list of available breaks for your shift
3. Find the appropriate break type (meal break, rest break)
4. Click the Start Break button
5. The system will record the start time of your break
6. Your break timer will begin counting

Ending a Break

When your break is complete:

1. Return to the active shift screen
2. Find your in-progress break
3. Click the End Break button
4. The system will record the end time and calculate the duration
5. You’ll see a summary of your break details

Viewing Break History

To see your breaks for a current or past shift:

1. Go to the Time & Attendance section
2. Select the shift or attendance record
3. Click the Breaks tab
4. You’ll see all breaks taken during that shift with:
   • Break type
   • Start and end times
   • Duration
   • Status (completed, in progress, etc.)

Break Compliance

The system helps ensure you take appropriate breaks:

• Required Breaks: Required breaks are clearly marked
• Break Reminders: You may receive notifications when breaks are due
• Duration Tracking: The system tracks if breaks are shorter than required
• Compliance Indicators: Visual indicators show if breaks meet requirements

Special Circumstances

Interrupted Breaks

If your break is interrupted for work purposes:

1. Return to the active shift screen
2. Find your in-progress break
3. Click the Interrupt Break button
4. Explain the reason for the interruption
5. The system will record this as an interrupted break

Skipped Breaks

If you’re unable to take a required break:

1. From the breaks tab, find the break you need to skip
2. Click the Skip Break button
3. Select or enter a reason for skipping
4. Your manager will be notified of the skipped break

Retroactive Break Recording

If you forgot to record a break:

1. Go to the Time & Attendance section
2. Find the relevant shift
3. Click Request Adjustment
4. Select “Add Missing Break”
5. Enter break details and reason
6. Submit for manager approval

Best Practices

For effective break management:

1. Start and end breaks promptly using the system
2. Take your full break allocation - short breaks may trigger compliance issues
3. Report interrupted breaks accurately for proper recordkeeping
4. Use the correct break type for different situations
5. Review your timesheet regularly to ensure breaks are recorded correctly

Related Resources

• Clock In and Out
• Attendance Records
• Break Compliance
• Timesheet Review

This article should be updated when:

1. Break management interface changes
2. New break types are added
3. Break compliance rules are modified
4. Break tracking methods change
5. New break management features are introduced