Employees in British Columbia must receive a 30-minute meal break before working more than five consecutive hours. This break is usually unpaid, but your employer must pay you if you’re required to work or remain available for work during it.
BC employers don’t have to provide separate coffee breaks or 15-minute rest breaks. Here’s what you’re entitled to under the province’s employment standards.
💡 BC Break Rules: A minimum 30-minute meal break is required before you work more than five consecutive hours. Coffee breaks and 15-minute rest breaks aren’t mandatory.
On This Page
- BC Break Rules
- Meal Breaks
- Paid vs. Unpaid Breaks
- Coffee & 15-Minute Breaks
- Missed or Interrupted Breaks
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Break Rules in BC?
Under the BC Employment Standards Act, most employees are entitled to the following:
| Type of Break | BC Requirement |
|---|---|
| 30-minute meal break | Required before working more than 5 consecutive hours |
| Paid meal break | Required if you must work or remain available for work |
| 15-minute rest break | Not required by law |
| Coffee break | Not required by law |
Your employment contract or workplace policy can provide additional breaks.
How Many Meal Breaks Are Employees Entitled to in BC?
Employees can’t work more than five consecutive hours without a meal break lasting at least 30 minutes.
For example, if you start work at 9 a.m., you must receive your meal break before working past 2 p.m.
Longer shifts can require more than one meal break. Your employer must schedule breaks so you never work more than five consecutive hours without one.
Two 15-minute breaks can’t replace your required 30-minute meal break. It must be one continuous break.
Are Meal Breaks Paid or Unpaid in BC?
Meal breaks are normally unpaid if you’re completely free from work.
However, your employer must count the entire meal break as paid working time if you’re required to:
- Answer work calls or emails
- Serve customers or complete work duties
- Remain available to perform work
For example, if you’re expected to answer the phone during lunch, your employer must pay you for the meal break.
If your employer hasn’t paid you for working through breaks, see our guide to unpaid wages in BC.
Are Coffee Breaks and 15-Minute Breaks Required in BC?
No. BC law doesn’t require employers to provide coffee breaks or separate 10-minute or 15-minute rest breaks.
However, your employer can offer them through a workplace policy or employment agreement.
If a rest break is provided, whether it’s paid depends on the agreement and whether you’re required to work or remain available during it.
Smoking breaks are also not automatically required. See our guide to smoke breaks in BC.
What If Your Employer Denies or Interrupts Your Meal Break?
Your employer must provide the required 30-minute meal break and pay you if you’re required to work or remain available during it.
If you regularly miss breaks or work through lunch:
- Record your hours. Keep track of missed or interrupted breaks.
- Check your pay. Make sure all working time has been included.
- Request a correction. Ask your employer to provide proper breaks and pay any outstanding wages.
You can also file a complaint with BC’s Employment Standards Branch.
BC Break Times: Frequently Asked Questions
Are You Entitled to a Break During an 8-Hour Shift in BC?
Yes. You must receive a continuous meal break of at least 30 minutes before working more than five consecutive hours.
Do You Get Two 15-Minute Breaks in BC?
Not automatically. BC employers aren’t legally required to provide two 15-minute rest breaks.
Can Your Employer Make You Work Through Lunch?
Your employer must provide a proper meal break. If you’re required to work or remain available during lunch, the entire break must count as paid working time.
Do Part-Time Employees Get Meal Breaks in BC?
Yes. The five-hour rule applies to covered employees regardless of whether they’re full-time or part-time.
Can Your Employer Split a 30-Minute Lunch Into Two 15-Minute Breaks?
No. The required meal break must be at least 30 continuous minutes.
Do You Get a Meal Break During a 5-Hour Shift?
A meal break is required before you work more than five consecutive hours. If your shift ends after exactly five hours, the law doesn’t require a meal break.
Do You Get More Breaks During a 12-Hour Shift?
You may need more than one meal break. Your employer must schedule breaks so you don’t work more than five consecutive hours without a 30-minute meal break.
Are Bathroom Breaks Required in BC?
Bathroom access is a separate workplace health and safety issue. Employees shouldn’t have to treat necessary bathroom access as their meal break. See our guide to bathroom breaks in BC.
Know Your Employment Rights in BC
BC’s employment standards protect employees’ rights to meal breaks, proper wages and overtime pay. If your employer makes you work through unpaid breaks, you could be owed additional wages.
If you’ve been fired, laid off or forced to resign, the BC employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP help non-unionized employees with wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal and severance pay.
Your severance could reach up to 24 months’ pay. Use our Severance Pay Calculator to find out what your package could be worth.
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