--- title: [Real Life HR] Employee Wants to Work Through Lunch Break description: We have a remote employee who is working through their lunch break. Can we require them to take it? image: https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/pexels-karolina-grabowska-8547629.jpg --- Start typing and press Enter to search * * # [Real Life HR] Employee Wants to Work Through Lunch Break [Home](https://www.ahola.com/) » [News & Events](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-employee-wants-to-work-through-lunch-break) » [Real Life HR] Employee Wants to Work Through Lunch Break [2023-03-21%2016:26:39](2023-03-21%2016:26:39) ![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/pexels-karolina-grabowska-8547629.jpg) ## [Real Life HR] Employee Wants to Work Through Lunch Break By [ Ahola Corporation ](https://blog.ahola.com/author/ahola-corporation)  Posted [ March 21, 2023](2023-03-21%2016:26:39)  In  [Employee Engagement](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employee-engagement), [Human Resources](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/human-resources), [Employees](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employees), [Hiring](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/hiring), [Time & Attendance](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/time-attendance) - - - - - Q: We have a remote employee who is working through their lunch break. Can we require them to take it? **A: **Yes, generally you can and should require an employee to take a lunch break. In many states, employers are required to provide employees with rest breaks, meal breaks, or both, and are sometimes even required to provide them at specific times during an employee’s shift. An employee skipping these rest periods could result in noncompliance with those laws. Additionally, an employee who works through their breaks may see negative impacts on their health and well-being, while you may see a drop in their overall productivity. It’s in everyone’s best interest that the appropriate break time is provided and taken. Having said that, before taking any adverse action against the employee, try to find out why they’re working through their break. Perhaps they would rather take their break at a different time, or maybe their workload is so heavy they feel they have to work through breaks to keep up. We advise approaching the employee with curiosity and looking for a solution that works for both of you. If the employee continues to skip their breaks despite these efforts, you can consider whether discipline is appropriate. Looking for more HR help? [Work with a certified HR Consultant today.](https://ahola.com/human-resources-consulting/)  This Q&A does not constitute legal advice and does not address state or local law. *Content provided by Ahola's HR Support Center* ### Reply a Comment ## RELATED POSTS [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/job%20interview-1.jpg) ](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-do-we-need-to-review-every-single-job-application-we-receive) [[Real Life HR] Do we need to review every single job application we receive?](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-do-we-need-to-review-every-single-job-application-we-receive) [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/training.png) ](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-required-to-pay-for-employee-training) [[Real Life HR] Required to Pay for Employee Training?](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-required-to-pay-for-employee-training) [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/networking.jpg) ](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-an-employee-was-not-selected-for-a-role) [[Real Life HR] An Employee Was Not Selected for a Role](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-an-employee-was-not-selected-for-a-role) ## SUBSCRIBE ### Recent posts - [Professionalizing HR Without Losing Your Family Culture ](https://blog.ahola.com/professionalizing-hr-without-losing-your-family-culture) - [Why Encouraging Employees to Take Summer Vacation Benefits Your Workplace ](https://blog.ahola.com/why-encouraging-employees-to-take-summer-vacation-benefits-your-workplace) - [Ahola Named a 2026 Top Workplace — Six Years Running! ](https://blog.ahola.com/ahola-named-a-2026-top-workplace) - ### Topics - [Affordable Care Act (13)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/affordable-care-act) - [Benefits (223)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/benefits) - [Cybersecurity (1)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/cybersecurity) - [Employee Engagement (255)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employee-engagement) - [Employees (603)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employees) - [Family Business Insights (10)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/family-business-insights) - [Hiring (282)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/hiring) - [Human Resources (645)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/human-resources) - [Laws/Policies (26)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/laws-policies) - [Managing COVID-19 (153)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/managing-covid-19) - [News Release (56)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/news-release) - [Offboarding (3)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/offboarding) - [onboarding (7)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/onboarding) - [Payroll (428)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/payroll) - [Recruiting (142)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/recruiting) - [Safety (121)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/safety) - [Tax Compliance (230)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/tax-compliance) - [Time & Attendance (124)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/time-attendance) - [Training & Development (214)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/training-development) - [Trending Topic (75)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/trending-topic) - [Uncategorized (1)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/uncategorized) - [Webinars (69)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/webinars) - [Workers Comp (1)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/workers-comp) [see all topics](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-employee-wants-to-work-through-lunch-break#) ### GENERAL DISCLAIMER This blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and cannot constitute legal advice, because the authors are not licensed attorneys. Readers should not rely or act upon any information presented on this blog without seeking professional legal counsel. The views expressed in each post are those of the author, and the author alone; they are not the views of Ahola. The information provided in this blog is general, and based on information available as of the date of publishing. Information herein is provided on an “as is” or “as available” basis; we make no warranty of any kind to you regarding the information provided and disclaim any liability for damages from use of the blog or its content. Please consult an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular question or issue. [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/adam-winger-zwFOsDJIT5k-unsplash.jpg) Test 3 key factors of engagement and performance Q: We have a remote employee... ](https://blog.ahola.com/key-factors-of-engagement-and-performance) [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/pexels-fauxels-3184465.jpg) How to Hire a Temporary Employee Q: We have a remote employee... ](https://blog.ahola.com/how-to-hire-a-temporary-employee)