Interrupted lunch breaks are the basis for class action lawsuits for unpaid wages filed on behalf of workers at two hospitals reports the Syracuse Post-Standard, "Firm Sues 2 Hospitals In Syracuse."
Wage and hour law does not require employers to pay employees for their lunch breaks. Kentucky law specifically requires that an employee be allowed a "reasonable" time period for a lunch break as close as possible to the middle of an employee's shift. However, employers are required to pay employees for the time they work. If an employee's lunch break is interrupted by work duties, the employee must be paid according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
