Guide · Rules
Are Breaks Paid? Rest Breaks, Meal Periods and State Rules
Federal law requires no breaks, but short breaks are paid and true meal periods are not. States requiring meal or rest breaks, and auto-deducted lunches.
Updated · 6 min read
4 guides · updated October 22, 2026
Rules & records
Breaks, time-clock rounding, the records employers must keep and the federal holiday calendar — what the rules say and what to check on your own time card.
Calculators for this topic: Time clock rounding calculator · Business days calculator · PTO accrual calculator · Work hours in a year
Guide · Rules
Federal Holidays and Business Days, 2026–2027
The 11 federal holidays with observed dates for 2026 and 2027, the weekend rule, the December 31, 2027 trap, and how to count business days.
Updated · 5 min read
Guide · Rules
The 7-Minute Rule and Time Clock Rounding
How quarter-hour rounding and the 7-minute rule work under federal law, why rounding has to be neutral, and how per-punch rounding changes a day’s total.
Updated · 5 min read
Guide · Rules
Time Records: What Employers Must Keep (and You Should)
29 CFR 516.2 lists the pay and hours records employers keep for each non-exempt worker: 3 years for payroll, 2 for time cards. What workers should keep.
Updated · 5 min read
Other topics: Hours & time cards · Overtime rules · Pay & the overtime deduction · All guides