South Dakota Labor Laws Breaks

Frequently Asked Questions about South Dakota Labor Laws for Breaks

What are the South Dakota labor laws for breaks?

Many states have labor laws requiring employees to give their workers a certain amount of break during their workday. These breaks are usually mandatory and are based on the assumption that an individual cannot work and eat at the same time. A meal break will usually only be mandatory if a certain amount of time is worked in a day, five hours or more in most states.

As of 2012, there are no South Dakota labor laws for breaks. Whether or not this is distressing depends on your point of view. Many workers prefer to have the option to work for seven-and-a-half hours in a row and then go home to have a meal on their own terms, or they have jobs that allow them to eat while working, thus making a lunch break seem unnecessary.

Some economists also argue that it’d be a mistake for there to be any South Dakota labor laws for breaks. A business which hopes to employe the best possible workforce will mandate meal breaks if they are desired. In such a circumstance, it’d also be in a business’s best interest to mandate a meal break since workers are usually far more productive when they are properly nourished.

The ultimate response from anti-break economists for individuals who do not get a meal break but want one is that they should just leave their jobs, which may be either positive advice or a heartless rejoinder depending on the economic situation in your local.

Are there federal labor laws for breaks?

It is a sign of smart thinking to wonder whether any federal laws are in place which might take the place of South Dakota labor laws for breaks. Unfortunately, as of 2012, there are no federal laws mandating meal breaks. The lack of legislation is based in part of the influence of laissez-faire economists, but also the assumption that a state will mandate a meal break if necessary.

There really aren’t any federal labor laws for breaks?

Actually, there are a few federal labor laws for breaks, although nothing will take the place of South Dakota labor laws for breaks for meals. The only one that requires employees to give breaks to employees was passed as part of the Health Care Reform legislation in 2010. In allows women to break from work to breast-feed. This may continue for as much as thirty minutes, and may be asked for once every four hours. The employer must provide a private location for the breast feeding, though a repurposed break room would count so long as privacy is assured.

There is also a federal law which mandates that workers be compensated for snack breaks, but not meal breaks. However, without any South Dakota labor laws for breaks, there isn’t any guarantee that you’ll receive a snack break.