Idaho Labor Law Breaks
The state of Idaho does not have Meal Break Laws. Employers are thus not required to provide paid or unpaid meal breaks at any point during the day. This means that employees can work ten or more hours without having a break to eat. If a company or business provides mealtime breaks as a policy, then employees are required to submit to the breaks.
An unwritten or written policy must be established for all employees and not just for supervisors or managers. During a meal break if an individual is still working, then he or she is by law required to be paid for his or her time.
Rest breaks are also not required by Idaho state laws or federal laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act covers shorter breaks but still does not require employers to administer breaks. Employers often do provide five to ten-minute breaks periodically throughout the workday. These kinds of breaks can often promote productivity and allow employees a chance to mentally rest.
The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers to pay employees for breaks under twenty minutes, even though meal breaks are often not paid. Restroom breaks are also not required, but employees may use designated facilities when necessary.
Idaho Family and Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Leave Act allow employees to take necessary leaves of absence for personal reasons and not have the fear of losing their employment. Personal reasons include maternity leave, the care of an elderly parent, hospitalization, ill children, and others in relation to medical or psychological needs.
Maternity leave allows a mother to bond with her newborn or adoptive parents to bond with their new child. Maternity leave and family or medical leave is allotted for twelve consecutive weeks. No amount of these designated weeks can be spread over several months. An employee may request to return to work sooner than twelve weeks. Paternity leave can also be provided
The Family and Medical Leave Act provides the employee returning from leave with the mandatory entitlement to the same occupation he or she had prior to leaving or occupation of the same salary, work environment, and benefits. While an employee is on leave, the business or company has the right to hire a new employee to fulfill the vacancy. Often times current employees may handle the absentee’s duties or a temporary employee will be hired. Another employee may also be temporarily promoted while the individual is on leave.
Overtime Payment
Idaho has no state law that requires employers to pay employees overtime. However, under federal law employees are promised overtime payment after forty hours of work in a single week. Overtime payment is the payment of time and a half, where an employee earns his or her normal wages in addition to half of his or her designated wages. For instance, an employee may be paid nine dollars an hour at a normal rate but when working overtime that same employee will earn thirteen dollars and fifty cents an hour for the continued hours worked that week.
