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California Labor Code §512 requires non-exempt employees to receive a meal break before working through certain hour thresholds. FieldTime monitors your continuous work time in real time and sends you a push notification when a break is coming due — so you can take your meal period on time rather than discover a violation after the fact. If a meal break is missed or too short, FieldTime creates a compliance finding on your timesheet with guidance on how to resolve it.
California meal break violations can result in penalty pay — one additional hour of regular pay for each missed or short meal period. Take your breaks as required.

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§512 Meal Break Requirements

FieldTime enforces the following California Labor Code §512 thresholds: “Before the end of the 5th hour” means you must start your first meal break no later than when you have worked exactly 5 consecutive hours. If you start work at 7:00 AM, your first meal period must begin by 12:00 PM at the latest.

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How Reminders Work

FieldTime sends a push notification to your mobile device at two points during your shift:
  • 4.5 hours of continuous work — reminder that your first meal break is due within 30 minutes.
  • 9.5 hours of work in the day — reminder that your second meal break is due within 30 minutes.
Enable push notifications in your profile settings to receive real-time meal break reminders while you’re clocked in.
Reminders are sent only when you are actively clocked in on a timesheet entry. If you have already taken a meal break before the reminder threshold, no notification is sent.

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Recording a Meal Break

1

Tap Start Meal Break on the Punch Clock

When you’re ready to take your meal break, open the FieldTime Punch Clock screen and tap Start Meal Break. FieldTime records the exact start time of your break. Your clock-in timer pauses for compliance tracking purposes.
2

Take at least 30 minutes

California §512 requires a minimum of 30 uninterrupted minutes. During this time you should be fully relieved of all work duties. FieldTime checks the duration of your break when you return.
3

Tap End Meal Break to resume

When your break is over, tap End Meal Break. FieldTime records the end time, calculates the break duration, and resumes tracking your worked hours. The meal break time is subtracted from your total compensable hours for the day.
If you forget to tap Start Meal Break before stepping away, you can add a meal break manually from the timesheet entry editor. Tap the entry for the day, select Add Meal Break, and enter the start and end times. Then re-run the compliance audit.

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Compliance Findings for Meal Breaks

When FieldTime detects a meal break issue, it creates a finding in the Meal Break (MEAL_BREAK) category. The following rule codes can appear: Missed and short meal break findings are ERROR severity, which means they block timesheet submission. You must either correct the entry, accept the finding to acknowledge the violation, or record a valid waiver before you can submit the week.

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Resolving a Meal Break Finding

If you took a break but didn’t record it in FieldTime, add it to the timesheet entry. Open the entry for the affected day, tap Add Meal Break, enter the actual start and end times, and save. Then click Run Audit — if the corrected break satisfies §512, the finding clears automatically.

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Meal Break Waivers

California §512 permits employees and employers to mutually agree to waive a meal period under specific conditions. FieldTime includes a versioned waiver system that records the exact consent text, timestamp, and employee identity for every waiver — creating an auditable record that satisfies DIR requirements.

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When a Waiver Is Allowed

A waiver is not valid on days exceeding 12 hours of work. FieldTime enforces these eligibility rules automatically — the Waive button only appears when your recorded hours meet the statutory conditions.

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Standing Waiver Agreement

FieldTime supports a standing (blanket) waiver that you agree to once and that applies to all eligible future workdays without requiring day-by-day confirmation. The standing waiver consent text reads:
“I voluntarily agree, by mutual consent with my employer under California Labor Code §512, to waive (a) my first 30-minute meal period on any workday I work no more than six (6) hours, and (b) my second 30-minute meal period on any workday I work more than ten (10) but no more than twelve (12) hours, provided I did not waive my first meal period that day. I understand this agreement is voluntary, does not apply to workdays exceeding twelve (12) hours, and may be revoked by me at any time in writing for future workdays.”
You can revoke your standing waiver at any time from Profile → Waiver Settings. Revocation applies to future workdays only and does not retroactively affect days already recorded.

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Per-Day Waivers

If you do not have a standing waiver, you can record a waiver for a specific day directly from the compliance finding. FieldTime generates the consent text dynamically, including the exact date and hours worked. For example, a per-day first-meal waiver on a 5.50-hour day reads:
“For [date], on which I worked 5.50 hours (six or fewer), I voluntarily waive my 30-minute meal period by mutual consent under California Labor Code §512.”
Waived findings appear in the Compliance Audit panel as indigo-colored informational rows labeled Waived (§512). You can tap Un-waive at any time before submission if you change your mind.

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Waiver Does Not Apply to Prevailing Wage Projects

Meal break waiver eligibility is determined solely by hours worked. However, on prevailing wage projects, your labor agreement may impose additional restrictions on waivers. Review your project’s collective bargaining agreement or contact your compliance officer if you are unsure whether a waiver is appropriate on a public works project.